Family Antics
by Kagehime3
Summary: With a three year old daughter and a second child on the way, Kid and Nami are still learning how to care for their growing, and unplanned, family. Rated M for language and bits of sexual content.
1. Chapter 1

_Oh look, I decided to begin the family AU series sooner than I thought I would. All of these are inter-connected one-shots based on prompts. Updates will be sporadic and based on timing (consider it like a one-shot dump). This first one is the request I posted on tumblr a couple of months ago since I decided to keep to that 'verse' for the one-shots. Hope you guys enjoy some endless fluff and Kid's attempts at being a semi-decent father._

 _Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or the characters, they belong to Eiichiro Oda._

* * *

 _Painted Walls and Tattered Maps_

To say Kid freaked out when he first heard she was pregnant, was an understatement. They had barely been dating for two years by that point, hadn't discussed a future beyond that. The first few weeks were the roughest time of her adult life. Kid was keeping her at a distance, at most she'd get an awkward call to see how she was doing and what she had planned, but he was cold and detached. If she saw him, he didn't look at her for more than a second and he didn't stick around long. His reaction hurt more than she thought it would, and her out of control hormones only made it worse.

It took her breaking down into uncontrollable sobs in front of him to finally find out what he was thinking.

He proposed right then and there, and all her tears dried up when she saw the small box held out to her. She had to pry his fingers open to get to it, and he refused to look at her as she lifted the lid to see the thin gold band and simple diamond.

It turned out that after a day of thinking, he knew he couldn't abandon her. He didn't want to lose her and, while having a kid had never been in his thoughts of the future, she always had been and he refused to see that change. If it meant he was going to have a brat with her, then he'd do right by her and make it official. The reason he was avoiding her was because he picked up extra hours to pay for the ring and start saving up for a deposit on a house. His coldness was because he was exhausted, and also trying to keep his decision a secret until he had the ring. He was also terrified to touch her in her condition. There was a fragile little leech of some sort growing inside her and he knew he wasn't the gentlest of guys, so in order to fight his usual need to touch her, he just avoided her like the plague.

For about a whole minute, as she showered him with affection, Kid looked like the happiest guy in the world. And then he panicked when she pressed close to him. His starved body reacted as it always would under her touch, but his mind held to some reason that clashed with his desires and he was out the door a second later. She didn't see him again for two weeks.

By her second trimester, Kid had adjusted and made a bigger effort in being there. He went to her doctor's appointments if he had time, and if he didn't, he sent his best friend with her so she wouldn't be alone if one of her own friends didn't go along. Kid still wouldn't touch her for more than a fleeting second, but once the doctor's reassurances sunk in and he knew it would be fine as long as he was careful, their relationship found a warm balance that it didn't have in the past.

The balance was tossed out during the last trimester when she was just so very done with being pregnant. She was fat and tired and everything swelled and Kid was just such an asshole. They fought every day, which was more normal, but they couldn't make up like they used to, so most of the time they went to bed angry and hardly spoke the next day until the next argument ensued. It was like every fight they didn't have for the three months she was happy in her pregnancy, compounded into a three month long fight that ended with her screaming every obscenity she knew at him while nearly ripping off his hand as she gave birth to their beautiful baby girl.

Kid was on his knees, trying hard to stay conscious when her grip relinquished his hand. Apparently he was dizzy, his ears were ringing, and he couldn't hear anything for two days straight. The staff in the room with her were permanently blushing at the specific nature of what she yelled at Kid, most of all what she intended to do to his dick if he ever got her pregnant again, and the nurses had a very hard time looking her in the eye as they handed over her baby. She also learned later that the entire hospital came to a standstill at the sound of her giving birth, their very annoyed friend Trafalgar Law coming by to inform her of as much. Even he had a hard time tuning her out while in surgery.

Seeing Kid's bandaged hand and temporary deafness was apparently worth the disruption for him, though.

It didn't matter to her. None of it. She had her perfect, sweet, innocent baby girl in her arms with her thin tuft of dark orange hair, all her fingers and toes, and the faintest hint of reddish brown eyes for the brief second she opened them for the new mother to see. Nami took full credit for how cute her baby was. She did all the hard work, after all. Kid didn't argue it, but he couldn't actually hear her when she said it the first few times, and later he still wasn't inclined to – not after seeing her go through labor.

They named her Mary.

Nami hadn't expected Kid to be a perfect father. In fact, she was not surprised to have Killer around helping her for the first few months while Kid kept a safe distance from their daughter. The most he touched her during her infancy, was when he'd run a gentle finger over her chubby cheek or through her soft hair, or let her grasp onto his pinkie to suckle it while she was in her bassinette. He never held her, barely managed to change one diaper with Killer's help, and spent most of his time at home with them watching Nami play with her from the couch.

Kid was actually afraid of her.

If it wasn't so frustrating having to do all the work, Nami might have thought it was adorable, but it mostly made her want to pull her hair out. By around seven months, once their daughter was able to sit up on her own and was more aware, and Nami was fed up with Kid's avoidance, she plopped the baby in his lap and stood back to watch the show. He freaked out, as she knew he would, but refused to move as the girl sat there looking around. He wasn't even breathing while panicked eyes landed on Nami, silently begging her to take the baby back. She pointedly refused with a shake of her head, Killer at her side, stubbornly refusing to help his best friend, too.

Kid was out voted. His wife and best friend against him. He had no choice but to hold his daughter.

A minute passed, and Mary began to teeter on his thigh. Kid's instincts kicked in, and he steadied her before she fell. The little girl looked up at him, openly confused as he shifted her to lean against the side of his broad chest. Kid's eyes met their daughter's; Mary blinked, then smiled, and then gurgled happy bubbles as she shrieked with laughter, her hands reaching up to point at her father. Nami was biting her lip to keep from making any noise that might disturb the moment, even latched onto Killer's arm as if seeking for him to hold her back.

To see the exact moment Kid fell in love with their daughter was the cutest thing she had ever seen. She was glad she thought to have Killer record it.

His daughter wedged under his arm, Kid looked up with the widest grin she had ever seen on him, and from that day on, hardly a minute went by where he wasn't holding the girl. He even did most of the work teaching her how to walk. He still refused to change a diaper, though.

Three years later, and they were a happy family, living in a beautiful home… and had a second child on the way.

Four months into her pregnancy, and Nami was feeling great. She knew it wouldn't last, but for now, they were enjoying the calm before the storm and preparing for the once again unplanned addition to their family.

The news of her expecting came with Kid freaking out again, but it was tempered and focused on where the hell they were going to fit the newest brat in their three bedroom home. The entire den was claimed as 'adult' space that was mostly used by Kid and his friends. The main floor with the living room and kitchen was mostly shared space, except for the small bedroom they converted into her office. Upstairs were their two bedrooms, with no room for a third.

Nami didn't mind giving up her office as long as Kid created a space in the living room for her to work, but she hated the idea of having either child, or themselves, sleeping in the third bedroom, so far from the others. Their only options were to move into a bigger house, or find a way to create an additional room upstairs. Neither wanted a bigger house, at least not when it came with a bigger mortgage, so that left renovating as their only option.

It was a good thing Kid was skilled in construction.

They enlisted the help of most of their friends to see that the addition was finished in two months. Franky had friends at the assessor's office, so he got the permits and inspections rushed through. Between Killer, Heat, Wire, Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, and Franky, Kid had more than enough manpower available to keep the time table moving along while only sparing a few of his days off in the week to actual construction work. As long as she kept Luffy far away from the house during that time, nothing was going to hinder its progress.

In hindsight, the amount of money she put into taking Luffy out to dinner probably could have gone toward a reasonable down payment on a new place.

But, halfway through her pregnancy, the addition was up and they were almost ready to move into their new master bedroom.

The plan was to build a new master and bath on the opposite end of the top floor, leaving the two original rooms for the children on the other end. It meant they would have more space to themselves, and Nami could finally get that massive jetted tub she dreamed of, while keeping the kids nearby. Their old room would be redecorated for Mary, and her old room would go to their new son or daughter.

The weekend Kid dedicated to painting their new bedroom, as well as their old one, meant Nami could not be in the house. She tried to convince Kid to let her at least stay to help keep an eye on Mary, who was adamant about helping her papa make their new rooms pretty, but her husband stubbornly refused.

Apparently Law told him the fumes were bad for the baby and Kid actually listened to him for once.

Nami left early in the morning, deciding to take advantage of the break from life as a mother and having a girl's day with Robin, Vivi, and her sister Nojiko. They went shopping, spent a few hours relaxing at the spa, had their nails and hair done, and topped it off with dinner at Sanji's restaurant. It was a day of pampering that Nami did not get nearly as often as she used to. By the time she was ready to go home, she was in a relaxed state of bliss, looking forward to curling up with her husband and daughter for a movie before bed. Nothing could bring her down….

Until she walked in the front door and nearly screamed at what she saw.

Paint was streaked across the walls and furniture of the living room. There was purple mixed with splatters of fuchsia that she knew were the colors for their daughter's room. Footprints in the metallic blue she and Kid had agreed on for their room, covered the carpet, seemingly in pursuit of purple and pink footprints. She could hear screaming and squealing upstairs as she stared in dumbfounded horror at the state of the main floor. She was terrified to see what their rooms looked like.

"Mary! Get back here!" She could hear Kid yelling, his feet pounding through the carpeted hallway over her head. "Damn it, you brat! Yer mother's gonna tan yer ass when she gets home!"

She wasn't going to do anything that harsh, and Kid knew it, but he seemed frustrated enough to let the empty threat out. Mary didn't seem to believe him, either, judging by the squeal of laughter and pattering feet running around.

Taking a deep breath, Nami finally found the courage to shut the door and go further into the house, dropping her bags on the floor along the way. Now that she was further into the house, she could see the full extent of the damage.

Their living room had a large vaulted ceiling with stairs leading up to the second floor hallway that overlooked the area, and the rungs of the handrails were coated in painted hand prints, the carpet runner covering the wood stairs were covered in more foot prints. The wood floors and expensive rugs in the living room were probably beyond repair. The open concept kitchen wasn't spared from the onslaught of painted hands and feet, and she frowned at the package of cookies sitting on the counter. Kid was in more trouble than Mary because of that. Her eyes swept toward her office and she was even more livid at the hand prints on the door that should have been closed, but the coat of purple on the knob told her Mary figured out how to open it. She was tall for her age, thanks to her father, and she knew that was going to catch up to them soon.

She finally screamed when she saw her office completely destroyed. Maps, log books, carefully organized research on the ocean floor and atmospheric patterns - all of it thrown around and ruined, trampled and covered with paint.

Kid stopped running upstairs. He had never been more terrified in his life.

"Mama!" Their daughter squealed, not seeming to notice Nami's thinned temper.

She heard Kid start running again, shouting after Mary in an attempt to warn her, or maybe save her from her mother's wrath. By the time she made it downstairs and tackled her mother's legs in a hug, Nami was so pissed off, she was calm.

"Hi, sweetie," Nami smiled down at her daughter, despite the tick over her eyebrow. Her attention went to Kid a second later as he crashed into the doorframe of her office, wide eyed and gasping for air. She smiled at him, too.

"Shhhhiiitttt," he cursed.

"Kid." Her smile was so wide, that her eyes were slits. To anyone else, she would seem completely happy and at ease. Kid knew better and inched away. "Why is our three year old daughter and half our house covered in paint?"

"Uh…" He glanced down at Mary who had gone to play with one of Nami's maps, only further damaging it as she found a pen to scribble over the surface with.

"Why were the cookies out in the kitchen?" Nami questioned further, not missing Kid's short look out to the house behind him, likely searching for an escape route.

"Umm," he frowned at her. "She wanted a snack before we started on our room."

"Oh! Of course. And cookies are certainly the easiest thing." She cocked her head to the side. "Unlike the already prepared fruit salad and yogurt I have in the fridge for her normal afternoon snacks."

Kid swallowed thickly. "She wanted the cookies."

"And you're her father," she bit out, all feigned amusement gone. "You can't just give her everything she wants."

"But I wanted the cookies, too." He glowered at her, crossing his arms in a stubborn show of defiance.

Her eyes narrowed on him, but before she could say anything, a tug on her skirt drew her attention back to their daughter.

"Mama! Look what I drew!" Mary said, holding up half of a map to show Nami a picture of three people drawn with exaggerated ovals for bodies and limbs. One was tall with wavy, chin length hair and a huge, thickly outlined grin that was obviously Kid. Another, much shorter, had long hair down her back and a sweeter smile that Nami guessed was her. Between them was a little girl, holding both their hands, while Nami's image held a little bundle that was probably their future child.

Nami smiled more sincerely and crouched down to be at Mary's height. She gave the girl a pat on the head and praised her art. "That's very pretty. We'll have to frame it and put it in the baby's new room before they come." Mary grinned at the kind words, but it was lost in a startled shriek as Nami took her by the ear. "That does not get you out of trouble for destroying my office, though, young lady!"

Her daughter screamed and tried to escape, but was scooped into Nami's arm and hauled up. Mary thrashed in her mother's hold while Nami stormed toward the door. Kid wisely moved out of the way and stiffened under her sharp glare as she walked by.

"I'm going to give Mary a bath, and afterward you both will be cleaning this mess up. And no, you will not call Killer for help," she informed.

She heard Kid's sigh of relief from the stairs, and shot him another fiery glare.

"And you're sleeping on the couch for a month." She snapped, prompting him to jerk his head toward her in surprise. "And if you value your testicles, I recommend you buy a good cup for when I go into labor. A broken hand is nothing compared to what I have planned for you this time around."

* * *

 _A/N: And for those that didn't read this originally on tumblr - I picked the name Mary for the pirate Mary Read, and also because one of the meanings for the name is 'rebellious and obstinate' and that just fits the name of their child too well not to pick._


	2. Chapter 2

_Short but sweet one-shot based on the prompt: "_ _Imagine your OTP has a child/children. Imagine Person A of your OTP standing on a chair, sofa, or balancing between two separate armrests with their kid(s) in their arms. Person B walks in asking what they're doing, and both Person A and the kid(s) cry frantically, "The floors are lava!""_

 _Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or the characters, they belong to Eiichiro Oda._

* * *

 _Playing with Papa_

Nami knew it probably wasn't the best idea to leave Kid home alone with their daughter – not after the paint incident. But she had to go to the store and she wasn't about to drag two children (a hyperactive toddler and a short-tempered twenty-eight year old) with her. She thought to leave Killer with them for supervision, but she had a long list and could use the help at the store more, so she trusted that her husband and daughter would _not_ destroy their home without a responsible adult around.

She really shouldn't have trusted those two.

Walking into the house, Killer behind her, arms laden with grocery bags, she froze at the scene in front of her. Kid stood high above the living room floor, their three year old dangling from his arms as he balanced on the arms of the couch and a matching living chair.

"What are you two doing?" She asked hesitantly.

They yelled "The floors are lava!" in unison as answer. Killer snorted behind her and moved to drop the bags in the kitchen, while Nami stifled her giggles at their game. Maybe she didn't need to worry so much.

And that's when she spotted it…

"You broke the coffee table!" She shrieked, pointing at the piece of furniture lying flat on the floor, its legs little more than splinters after trying to bear Kid's weight.

"Like I said, the floors are lava," Kid explained, utterly unfazed as she fumed at him.

"That isn't an excuse to break the furniture!"

"I'll fix it later," he waved her off.

"Papa! You have to save Mama! She's standing in the lava!" Mary screamed, thrashing in her father's hold. "She's gonna burn up!"

"Shit, yer right," Kid grunted. Nami's annoyance waned as she watched Kid toss their daughter onto the chair and walk across the couch, exaggerating the 'precarious' balancing act over a floor of lava as his arms stuck out to his sides. Mary gasped when Kid swayed and nearly fell onto the molten floors. Nami snorted when he leapt onto the other arm of the couch, then onto the arm and back of the other living chair closest to the door. With a toothy grin, he reached out, beckoning her over. "Come on, Kitten. I got ya."

She heard Killer chuckling from the kitchen and glanced back to share an amused look with him. For a man who was absolutely terrified of fatherhood, it was pretty cute how well he eventually took to it.

"Mama!" Mary cried out, getting her attention back on them. "Papa's gotta save you!"

Kid's grin was impossibly wide when she looked back to him. With a shake of her head and quiet laugh, she carefully traipsed over the floor. They had tossed pillows and cushions around, making a trail that led through the living room to the stairs and kitchen. She pretended to teeter in place and jumped onto one of the pillows. Mary cheered her on as she eyed the next pillow warily.

"The steppin' stone's gonna melt away if ya stand there," Kid warned, stifling his chuckle.

She shrieked playfully, leaping to the next pillow and waving her arms when she nearly fell.

"You're almost there!" Mary yelled, jumping up and down on the chair. "You can do it."

"I'm scared," she said, trying hard to hold back her laughter as she clutched her arms.

Kid laughed for her and jumped from his spot to a pillow near his chair, closer to her. "Ya always were a chicken-shit," he taunted, waving for her to come closer. "I won't let ya fall."

She glowered, but took another leap. She swayed again, but Kid snatched her by the wrist to help balance her, or pretend to. With a sharp tug, she was pulled to his small pillow, wrapped up in his arms as Mary cheered her father on.

"My hero," Nami sighed dramatically, burying her face against his chest.

"Not out of danger yet," he chuckled. "Chairs and couch are the only safe spots."

"And the coffee table?" Her brow rose as she glared up at him.

Kid ignored the question, leaning back until he was seated on the arm of the chair. Large hands picked her up by the waist while Kid twisted, plopping her onto the armrest beside him. "There we go. Safe and sound."

She laughed at his grin and pushed up to brush a kiss to his jaw. "You're still in trouble for the coffee table," she whispered.

"I said I'd fix it," he huffed. He leaned down for a quick peck. "Have a little faith in yer husband," he grumbled against her lips, stealing another short kiss.

Mary giggling from the other chair broke them apart to look at her. The little girl had her hands covering her mouth, attempting to stifle her tittering laugh at their shared affection.

"Did you have fun with Papa today?" Nami asked.

Her daughter nodded eagerly and raised her arms above her head, a sign that she was about to go over everything they did for the two hours Nami was out shopping with Killer. "We played ponies and robots and Papa let me play with his tools – "

"Just the screwdriver to fix a broken cupboard," Kid whispered in her ear as their daughter carried on in her breathless summary.

"What happened to the cupboard?" She asked, brow raised. He didn't deign her with an answer.

" - and then the floor turned to lava and we had to jump all over and I was screaming – "

"She got her fuckin' lungs from you," Kid muttered, grunting when she elbowed him. "Well she did," he grumbled, nursing his side. "My ears are still ringin'."

" - and then you came home and Papa saved you!" Mary finished her story as she leapt up and down on her chair, arms waving over her head. "Come save me again, Papa!"

"Yer already safe," Kid groaned, leaning against Nami.

"Save me!"

"Yer startin' t' be a real brat, Mary," Kid growled, his eyes narrowed on the girl. Nami's elbow found his side again. "Well she is!"

"Save me! Save me! Save meeeeeeeee!" She shouted, voice getting higher the longer Kid stayed by Nami.

"I didn't even give her any sugar while you were gone," he sighed. He prepared to get up, but Killer came out of the kitchen, hand raised signaling he stay where he was.

"I'll take her," Killer said.

"Uncle Killer! You're burning!" Mary shrieked as he walked over to her.

"Nope. I'm the rescue plane, so I'm flying over all the lava," he explained. Mary pouted at him, disbelieving, so he stuck his arms out and swerved around the living room. "See?"

Mary screamed in joy, hands gesturing for him to pick her up. Nami laughed as she watched him swoop down and grab her daughter, lifting her above his head while Mary helped him make airplane noises. Kid slumped against her in relief, and she patted his thigh in sympathy.

"Wait!" Mary shouted before Killer could fly by her parents. "The tank's empty!"

"Tank?" Killer's brow rose as he tilted his head back to look at her.

She pointed to Kid and Nami, squirming in his hold. "Kisses!"

Killer chuckled as he lowered her in front of her parents, Mary holding her arms out to them. She squealed joyfully as Nami sprinkled her face with kisses.

"There you go," Nami said, grinning. "Tank's all full now."

"No it's not!" She yelled, pointing at Kid. "I need Papa kisses, too!"

"Tsh," Kid hissed, but he leaned in despite his annoyance and pressed his lips to her cheek. Instead of giving her a short kiss, he sucked in a breath, and then blew a loud raspberry against her cheek, making her shriek and flail in Killer's hold. "There's yer kiss, Brat," Kid growled.

"Yay! I wanna watch the pirate cartoon now!"

"I thought you just watched that this morning?" Killer asked as he lifted her above his head.

"I wanna watch it again!" She demanded. "Again! Again!"

"Geez, she's really on one today," Kid sighed.

"Again!" She screamed louder.

"Keep up that fuckin' screamin' and ya ain't watchin' shit," Kid warned, only to have Nami smack him upside the head.

"Language!" Nami lectured. She turned to point sternly at Mary. "One warning. Cool it, young lady, and ask nicely."

Mary pouted and lowered her head to look at Killer. "Can we watch the cartoon again?" Nami cleared her throat. "Please?"

"Of course," Killer nodded, earning a gloating smile from the girl that was far too much like her father's. "Kid, you could learn a thing or two from your daughter."

"Shut it," Kid growled. As Killer flew the girl down to the den to watch her cartoon, Kid groaned tiredly, wrapping himself around Nami. His face buried against her neck, he muttered "When's this terrible-two stage supposed to end? She's almost four. It should'a stopped by now."

"Sorry, Kid," Nami giggled, patting his arm. "It probably won't end until she's in college." He groaned, his weight sinking into her more. "And since she's _your_ daughter, it probably still won't end then."

"Tsh, don't put it all on me. Yer a fuckin' brat, too." He tilted his head to kiss her neck, his hand running over her swollen abdomen. "How ya feelin'?"

"Good," she sighed. "I think you still have another month or two before I'm at the stage where I want to kill you for impregnating me again."

He chuckled, lips brushing up to her ear. "Sorry," he said mockingly.

"I told you to use a condom while I was on antibiotics," she said with a huff. She couldn't stifle her gasp when he found the spot behind her ear that always made her shiver.

"I didn't think it'd be a problem."

"Well obviously it was. Even Law warned you when he wrote the script for me."

"Tsh, what would that stuck-up prick know?"

"He's a doctor!"

"Whatever," he grunted, busying himself with sucking on her skin. "Now reward me for being a good dad today."

She hummed, laughing as the kisses to her neck became hungrier. "You broke the coffee table. I don't think you deserve a reward."

"I said I'd fix it," he grumbled, grasping her chin as he pecked her cheek.

"And somehow you broke a cupboard, too?" Her brow raised, but she didn't stop him when he stole a kiss.

"I already fixed that one. It was just the hinge." He explained between more kisses.

"Anything else broken?"

"Nope," he said, shaking his head and then snatching her lips again. He pulled away with a thoughtful hum a minute later. "Though, come t' think of it. One of the dining room chairs made a weird noise when I was standing on it."

"How have you two not demolished this house yet?" Nami sighed.

"Hey, I didn't give her any sweets this time. Give me a little fuckin' credit here. And she didn't get into yer office again. Actually, I started the game when she took off in a dead sprint for yer office. Told her she would burn to death if she didn't jump on the couch."

She released another heavy sigh. Smiling, she cupped his face and gave him another peck. "Fine. I admit. You did okay today."

He wore that same gloating grin his daughter had earlier as he wrapped her up in his arms. "Damn right. Number one fuckin' dad material right here."

"Maybe number one big brother, but I'd say Killer's the better dad," Nami snickered.

"Oi! I'm her fuckin' father!"

"You might have supplied the material, but Killer did most of the work the first few months," Nami pointed out. "And…" she trailed off in a seductive whisper, fluttering kisses over Kid's jaw to appease him. "He's currently watching Mary, so it's just you and me for a – "

"Got it," Kid interrupted, standing abruptly and scooping her into his arms. "I'll just prove I'm number one husband."

Nami laughed at his urgency as he jumped from cushion to cushion across the floor, making his way to the stairs. "What are you even doing, Kid? You can just walk."

"Nope. Floors are still lava."

"You are such a child, Kid."

* * *

 _A/N: Fun fact - Mary loves pirates and cars and robots like her dad. She's very much daddy's little girl._

 _Another fun fact/ educational moment - Antibiotics reduce efficacy of birth control pills (says it right on the package for those that didn't know). My friend's first child came about because she was on antibiotics and didn't know how the interacted with birth control. So for those with an active sex life who do not use two forms of birth control/ protection - take extra measures if you are on antibiotics, and read the packaging carefully for any other potential drug interactions with other prescriptions you might have._


	3. Chapter 3

_Okay, so some of these might come faster since I found prompts for inspiration. This one is based off the prompt "_ _Imagine your OTP's young child making a Play-Doh meal for them."_

 _Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or the characters, they belong to Eiichiro Oda._

* * *

 _Uncle Luffy_

For Kid and Nami, their friends had always been a source of endless support. Before they began dating, when they found out Nami was pregnant, when they married and had their first child – their friends had been there every step of the way. Nami always joked that Killer was more a father to Mary than Kid since he was the one who took up a large amount of the burden after Mary was born, keeping Nami sane when her husband treated their daughter like the plague. He wasn't the only one there for her, though.

Robin was a calming influence in their lives. She was always happy to babysit, dote on their daughter with books and gifts. She helped Nami read every parenting book she could find, while advising her that in the end she and Kid would have to find their own way in caring for their child, that they couldn't rely on the advice in the books (much of it contradictory).

Their other friends were just as happy to help. Sanji often came over with dinner if one of them wasn't feeling well. Zoro was a trustworthy sitter barring he didn't fall asleep. Usopp was the best at keeping Mary entertained with all his stories. Franky was a good influence on Kid, encouraging her husband's growing involvement with their family. Heat and Wire were two more regular sitters, and she had a feeling they were acting therapists for Kid whenever he struggled with his unexpected life as a father, letting him vent while making sure he remembered to appreciate what he had. Even Law had been a help to them, despite his prickly friendship with Kid. He provided medical advice, quelled Nami's concerns every time Mary had a sniffle or hiccup that didn't sound right, and referred Nami to the best pediatrician he knew – granted that was to get her to stop calling him at two in the morning because Mary coughed once and she didn't trust the doctor she was taking her to. His friends even offered to sit for them.

And then there was Luffy.

While she constantly liked to tease Kid about being an actual kid, his level of immaturity and bratty-ness was nothing compared to her best friend's. Luffy meant well. She knew that. He loved Mary as much as the others did, and never failed to make the little girl laugh no matter what. It was his nature, and the reason Nami could never imagine life without him. But sometimes she questioned if he thought everything he did through.

It was Saturday afternoon when he came busting into their house – uninvited, as always. In his arms was a Play-Doh playset. Specifically it was the Food Court set that made all variety of food from the clay. Of course he'd get something that involved food, even if it was inedible.

"Mary!" He called out, the little girl perking up from the floor of the living room where she was watching her favorite pirate cartoon for the third time that day. "I got something cool to show you!"

Comfortably reclined on the couch, Kid glowered at their guest. Nami peeked out of her office to see what the commotion was all about, sharing Kid's frown when she saw Luffy standing there with a new toy. She had hoped to keep her daughter from ever playing with Play-Doh. After the paint incident, she could only imagine what kind of damage Mary could do. She already dreaded having to pick it out of the rugs. She'd probably have to scrub for an hour. She just replaced them, too.

"Luffy, I don't think she's old enough for Play-Doh," Nami sighed, walking over to take the box from him to inspect herself. She glared at the little '2+' icon on the corner of the box. The toy was betraying her already.

"It'll be fine," Luffy reassured.

"What is it?" Mary asked after going to stand at her mother's side. She tugged at Nami's shirt to get her attention, and when Nami looked down, she begrudged ever teaching her daughter that pout.

"Alright," she sighed again, handing the box back to Luffy. "Just keep to the dining room table and if you make a mess, you're helping clean it."

"Woohoo!" Luffy shouted. He yanked the box from her outstretched hands and ran to the table. "Come on, Mary! I'll show ya how to make a super-duper-mega-colossal burger with this."

Mary cheered joyfully and chased after him. Slumping over, Nami buried her face in her hands and groaned loudly. "I'm going to regret this, aren't I?"

"Probably," Kid said with a snort. He sank further down on the couch and grabbed the remote beside him. "Oi, Brat! I'm changin' the channel since yer not watchin' this anymore."

Nami groaned at her daughter's responding shriek of "No" given at the top of her lungs. She wondered what it was like to have a peaceful Saturday afternoon. She couldn't remember ever having one.

* * *

For an hour, Nami tried to tune out the sound of Mary and Luffy laughing over their Play-Doh creations while she worked on charting the ocean conditions from the data her research group submitted to her from their latest voyage – a trip she couldn't take because she pregnant. She managed to get some work done before her daughter came barging into the office.

"Mama, come see what we made!" The toddler grasped her by the arm and tugged. "It looks delicious."

"I'm sure it does, sweetie. Let me finish this one part of my chart and I'll come look." Nami pat her on the head and began to turn back to her work. It would only take a few more minutes, and then she could relax with her family for the rest of the day.

"But Uncle Luffy and Papa might eat it all by then and you won't get to have any," she argued, once again giving her that damn pout.

"They're not going to eat it," Nami said with a tired smile. "You can't eat Play-Doh."

"Uncle Luffy says you can."

"Wait. What!?" Nami dropped her pen instantly and turned her whole chair to face Mary.

"He said that since it looks like food, it has to be food."

"Oh my god," Nami said in a rush, jumping from her chair and running out of the office. She found Luffy sitting in the living room, plates of Play-Doh food piled on the coffee table. Kid sat on the sofa, staring at the 'meal' with a skeptical eye, while Luffy was on the floor opposite him, drooling. She quickly spotted a pink splotch of clay on Luffy's cheek. "Luffy! Don't eat that!"

"Why not?" He blinked up at her as she raced over to knock a clay burger from his hand. "Hey!"

"Luffy! It's clay! You can't eat it!"

"But it looks so good," he whined. He fell to his back on the floor, frowning up at her. "I wanna eat it."

"You can't!" She glanced to Kid and watched him take a fry to tentatively lick. "Kid!"

"I was curious what it tastes like," he grunted, sticking out his tongue and tossing it to the table. He gestured toward Luffy. "I figured it had to at least taste decent if he could pile so much into his mouth. Fucking tastes like shit."

She was too preoccupied with the first part of what he said to care about the language he used and turned back to Luffy. "How much did you eat?"

Luffy shrugged. "Only ten burgers and three sticks of takoyaki."

"Oh no," she said, pressing a hand to her forehead. "That can't be good."

A hand tugging at her jeans drew her attention down to Mary. The little girl was frowning up at her, lip quivering. "Mama, don't you like the dinner I made you?"

A thought clicked that nearly made her panic as she fell to her knees in front of her daughter and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Did you eat any of it, Mary?" Her daughter cocked her head to the side, brows furrowing in confusion. "Mary! Did you eat any of the Play-Doh?"

"A little – "

"Oh no. Luffy! You let my daughter eat clay!?" She screamed, rounding on her best friend to punch him in the head.

"I spit it out, Mama. It tasted gross," Mary added.

"At least the brat's got some sense," Kid sighed.

"Yeah, and she obviously got it all from me," Nami huffed, turning a heavy glare onto her husband. "Why weren't you watching them!?"

"It's fuckin' clay! How was I supposed to know that idiot would think it's edible?"

"It's Luffy! He thinks almost everything is edible!"

"Then you shouldn't have let him play with that stuff! He's your friend!"

"You were the one out here! What if Mary ate it!?"

"I would'a handled it! And she didn't, so it's fine! Seriously, how much damage can it do? It's just clay!"

Their argument was interrupted when Luffy rolled to his side and groaned. Nami's eyes widened when clutched his stomach, his shoulders stiffening with a dry heave.

"I need to call Law," Nami said, beckoning for Kid to hand over his cell phone rather than run to the office for hers. He pulled it from his pocket and tossed it at her with a disgruntled sigh, and she quickly pulled up Law's number.

"I don't feel so good, Nami," Luffy moaned.

"Huh, wonder why?" Kid asked sarcastically.

"I think it's something I ate," Luffy answered.

Kid snorted. "No shit."

She ignored them in favor of mentally screaming for Law to pick up. When he finally did, he sounded half asleep.

"Eustass-ya, this better be important or – "

"Law! Luffy just ate a ton of Play-Doh and is heaving on the floor, what do I do?" Nami interrupted.

"Nami-ya?" He trailed off with a groan and she listened to some rustling on his end of the line as he woke himself up. He must have worked a late shift. She would feel guilty for waking him, but Luffy was about to throw up. "Why was Straw Hat eating Play-Doh?"

"Do you really have to ask that?"

"Guess not," he chuckled wryly. "Did your hell spawn – "

"Stop calling my daughter that."

"Did she eat any of it?"

"She said she tried some but spit it out."

"That's good. And Eustass-ya? Was he incompetent enough to eat it?"

"No," she bit out.

"That's too bad."

"Stop hoping my husband will poison himself," she snapped.

"Tell Trafalgar to go fuck himself," Kid added.

"Tell Eustass-ya to eat shit," Law responded, easily hearing Kid's comment without her repeating it.

"This isn't the time! I need you to fix Luffy!"

"Nami," Luffy groaned again. "I think I'm going to puke."

"Not in our fuckin' living room!" Kid shouted, jumping up to grab Luffy by the collar of his shirt. He balked when the younger man heaved the second he was moved. "Oh shit."

Kid moved fast to drag their friend to the powder room beside her office.

"Let him empty his stomach. He should start feeling better quickly. Play-Doh isn't toxic, but it has high salt content. Make sure he drinks a lot of water, and don't let him eat any more."

"Thanks, Tora-o," Nami said, sighing in relief at the good prognosis.

"I believe those sorts of things come with warning labels and age restrictions. I can't imagine Straw Hat being old enough to play with it." Law chuckled, and Nami silently agreed. She could hear Luffy throwing up in the bathroom, Kid grumbling under his breath as he stood waiting just inside the door. "If that's all. I'm going back to bed."

"That's it. Thanks again." He hung up with a tired grunt.

"Mama, is Uncle Luffy gonna be okay?" Mary asked, climbing into Nami's lap where she sat on the floor.

She hugged her daughter close and ran a hand through her short ginger hair. "Yeah, Tora-o said he'd be fine. He's only sick because he ate too much of it."

"So it's safe to eat?" She asked, glancing back at the coffee table.

"No, absolutely not," Nami said firmly. "Anyway, you said it tasted bad, so why would you want to eat it?"

"I don't," Mary said, tongue stuck out in disgust. "But I'm sure Uncle Luffy will want to eat it if he can."

She heard Kid snort as he listened, and Nami couldn't help but roll her eyes. Luffy had certainly eaten far worse things in his lifetime and somehow came away with his appetite intact, perfectly willing to eat the same thing that made him sick.

"Well, Luffy isn't allowed to play with it anymore," Nami decided.

A whining "No fair" echoed from the bathroom before the toilet flushed. Oh, she hoped the Play-Doh didn't clog the pipes. Luffy's head popped out a second later, frowning at her. "Why can't I play with it?"

"Were you not paying attention when you threw up after eating – What? The equivalent of three cans worth?" She asked incredulously. Luffy's frown deepened and she knew there was no way of stopping him. "Promise not to eat any more."

"I promise!" He swore, hand held up in front of him. She relented with a short nod and Luffy's arms raised high above his head with a victorious shout. "Come on, Mary, I'll show you how to make a dinosaur with it now."

"I wanna make a robot!" Mary yelled, leaping from her mother's arms.

"You can make robots with it?" Kid asked, following after the pair to see for himself.

"I'm going to regret this again," Nami sighed.

"Oi! Idiot! You just said you wouldn't eat more of it!" Kid shouted a moment later.

Nami slumped onto the floor with a loud groan. "Yep. Definitely regret it."

* * *

 _A/N: That moment where Kid is an actual adult for a few seconds. Could not resist bringing Luffy and Law in for this one, too. I'm probably gonna churn a couple more of these out before going back to my other fics (and my Halloween ideas), but in the meantime, I have Papa!Kid in my mind, so gotta use it while I can._


	4. Chapter 4

_Prompt:_ _Person A is pregnant and is trying to get Person B to talk to the baby; Person B feels self-conscious, silly, ridiculous, etc. talking to A's belly, and at first begins speaking jokingly, but soon gets very involved. Bonus points if A gets emotional._

 _Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or the characters, they belong to Eiichiro Oda._

* * *

 _Setting the Mind at Ease_

Nami's latest check-up had gone well. Her second pregnancy was going better than even the doctors expected with no complications. The worst thing she was experiencing was some pesky indigestion that had sprung up over the last week or two, but otherwise she was feeling fine. The baby was in just as good of shape with a healthy heartbeat and no sign of abnormalities in its development.

They also learned they were having a boy.

When they had Mary, Kid had been a little let down when he learned the sex. It seemed he was like most other men, hoping for a boy to roughhouse with and teach all the traditionally boy-like things he knew. Once he took to his daughter a few months after she was born, though, he immediately tossed out those old-fashioned notions and realized his little girl can enjoy all the same things he does, didn't matter what parts she was born with.

It helped that Kid wasn't a perfectly traditional man, either. He had no qualms with wearing make-up and nail polish, and she had seen him in fishnets more times than she ever imagined she would. He knew that what society labeled as masculine and feminine didn't really mean shit, and that people could enjoy whatever the hell they wanted. So, if his little girl wanted to get under the hood of a car and play with toy robots, then that was great. And if she grew up wanting to put on make-up and shop and do traditionally 'girlie' things, then that was great, too. She was his little princess who dreamed of fighting dragons and pirates, and building robots and cars, all while wearing the pretty dresses her mother bought for her, and he loved her for all of it. And should some idiot belittle her for anything she chose, he'd beat the shit out of them.

That didn't stop him from showing a hint of excitement at the chance to raise a boy, but his reasoning didn't seem to be from any ingrained biases.

Kid had never known his father.

The opportunity to raise a son terrified him in a way that just holding his daughter never did. He knew he wasn't a good guy, at his best he was an unapologetic asshole, and at his worst he could be disturbingly violent. Of course he was better than he thought, at least somewhere deep down. He showed his cute side, his odd charm, to his friends and Nami and no one else. She wouldn't have married him if she only thought of him as a villainous creep.

He knew his temper and easily wounded pride had grown out of the conditions of his childhood. His violent impulses were something he struggled with for most of his adult life, a trait he knew he didn't need outside of the slums and gangs he grew up around. He had a positive example in Killer, someone who could check him if he went too far, but he knew he had to learn his own control. He didn't want his son to endure the same life, the same ridicule, the same anger at the world that would only scare off the people he loved. Kid had been lucky to find friends who stood beside him no matter how far he went, and pulled him back rather than run away if he became too difficult. But there times where he wondered if things would have been different, easier for him, if he had parents to teach him better.

When Mary was born, he swore he would do right by her, teach her how to deal with anyone who laughed at her aspirations without always letting anger get the best of her. Luckily he had Nami and Killer around to help, but he was adamant in making the effort himself. Now with a son on the way, a potential 'Mini-Kid' that would look to his father's example more than his father would probably prefer, Kid once again swore he would be better.

That was Nami's favorite thing about Kid. He might not be perfect, but he always tried to be the best at what he set his heart toward.

That night, Nami settled into bed early to read. Mary was soundly asleep in her room, sprawled over her bed, snoring like her father. Kid came to bed around ten, staying up late to watch the news in the den and unwind from his day. As much as he loved spending most of his free time with Nami, even he needed a break to be alone from time to time, and since they got home from the doctor's, he had been oddly silent, so she knew it best to leave him to his thoughts.

"I checked on Mary," he said as he shed his t-shirt and went to grab a pair of loose shorts from the closet. "Still knocked out cold."

"Killer did his job exhausting her while we were out," Nami laughed, glancing up from her book. "She'll probably be in here waking us up at dawn, though."

"Tsh. Damn brat," Kid grumbled. He slipped into bed and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her to him as he got comfortable. "Remember when we'd stay up 'til three in the morning and sleep until the afternoon?"

"That was you. I still woke up early." She corrected, giggling as he nuzzled his face against her neck.

"Whatever," he said, sighing happily once he settled with his head resting on her shoulder. "Still feel old goin' to bed before midnight."

"We went to bed before midnight before," she said while setting aside her book. "But usually it wasn't to sleep."

Kid chuckled quietly. Their sex life had definitely taken a hit after Mary was born. It still existed, of course, but it was heavily tempered. They were often too tired or busy to manage much. If they could escape to their room for a short time while someone kept their daughter occupied, they certainly tried to take advantage of the alone time, but it was always quick and just enough to vent some frustrations, nothing like the past where they could go at it for hours. And now that she was pregnant again, that meant Kid had to hold back his usually high sex drive and settle for brief but intimate moments when she was feeling well enough for them.

Luckily he was getting better at it, but Nami suspected it was because he was just too tired for anything more.

She shivered when his hand lifted to trace over her collarbones, his touch gentle as he followed the bone across her chest. "I feel old," he confessed as his fingers grazed down her sternum, brushing over her tank top and between her breasts.

"Being a parent tends to do that," Nami said quietly, tilting her head to press her cheek against his hair. She shifted closer with a quiet hum when his hand trailed over her stomach, and his legs tangled with hers. "And soon it'll be even worse with a newborn in the house again."

He snorted wryly while his hand tugged at the hem of her shirt, pulling it up to expose her swollen abdomen. He didn't say a word as his palm spread over the growing mound. During her first pregnancy, once she began showing and he had adjusted to the changes in their lives, Kid had occasionally run his hand over her belly, a mixture of curiosity and concern as he felt for the baby's movements. What he was doing now was different. He wasn't curious, nor was he concerned, not really. His silence was pensive, his touch smooth and gliding, almost in awe. There was a hint of protectiveness he had shown more during her second pregnancy than her first, and the feeling always made her smile.

"What's on your mind, Kid?" She asked softly, her hand resting over his.

He hummed, rubbed his cheek against her shoulder, and tangled their fingers together over her stomach. He didn't answer her immediately, too focused on watching his thumb graze her abdomen.

"I was kinda hopin' for another girl," he finally admitted after a few minutes.

"Really? I thought you were excited about having a boy?"

"I was… I _am_ but…" he trailed off with a thoughtful frown. "What if he's like me?"

She couldn't help but snort at his concern. She understood what was bothering him, yet still it was strangely amusing to see it get to him so much. "You aren't worried about Mary taking after you, and she's certainly showing more of your traits every day."

"Tsh, she's different. She takes after you, too, and I know you'll set her right."

"And I won't do that for our son?" Her brow rose as she angled her head to see his own furrow in thought.

"I guess ya would. Ya definitely set me right a lot." His expression relaxed with a short laugh, and his weight sunk against her. "Still think another girl would have been easier."

"Have you even met our daughter? It's a miracle we're still sane."

"Yeah, but as long as Mary doesn't get knocked up by some asshole like her mother did, then I ain't worried about her gettin' older," he said, tilting his head back to grin at her.

She laughed and leaned down to give him a peck. "And look at me now. Knocked up a second time by the same asshole."

"Damn right," he chuckled, stealing another kiss before resettling on her shoulder. His thumb returned to brushing over her stomach, and she knew he was still bothered about it.

"You'll do fine with him, just like you've been good with Mary. If you make a mistake, I'm there to correct it, not to mention Killer will keep you in line." She reassured, sighing as she nuzzled his hair. "I'm not worried one bit."

"Ya should be," he grumbled.

"Well, apparently you're worrying enough for both of us," she giggled.

"I'm bein' serious, Nami."

She sighed. "I know you are, but all we can do is try our best."

"What if it ain't enough?"

"It will be."

"How do you know?"

"I just do," she said wistfully. She tugged on his hand. "If you don't believe me, maybe you should talk to him."

"Who?" He looked at her, bemused, and she snickered at his confusion.

"Our son."

"Have ya lost yer marbles, Kitten? How the fuck am I supposed to talk to a worm in yer belly?"

"Will you stop calling him a worm? It was bad enough you called Mary a leech."

"Heh, kept callin' her a leech until ya weened her off yer tit." He grinned wide.

"Gross, Kid," she said, glaring. "You saw the ultrasound today. He is definitely not a worm."

Kid snorted. "Nah, but he's a got a worm hangin' between his legs."

Nami shrieked, yanking her hand from his to smack against his face, pushing him away. "That is disgusting!"

"What? He does! That's how we know it's a boy," he chuckled, rolling away from her as he struggled to grasp her hand in his.

"It's still gross!"

He finally grabbed her hand and pushed it over her head, hovering above her with a twisted smirk. "So why do ya want me to talk to the worm? It ain't gonna make any difference."

She huffed, glaring up at him. "I just thought it might help you work through your fears – "

"I ain't afraid," he interrupted with a hint of a pout.

"Fine, your _concerns_ ," she said, rolling her eyes. "And, it's a good chance for you to start bonding with him."

"How so?" His brow cocked up and he glanced down at her abdomen.

She shrugged. "It might be good if he hears your voice."

Kid frowned, gaze still on their unborn child. He looked back up at her for a moment, thoughtful frown deepening, and with a sigh, he moved down her body. "This is stupid," he grumbled, even as he pressed a kiss to her sternum. "Tellin' ya now it ain't gonna help."

She rolled her eyes but held her tongue. He could doubt all he wanted, but she knew it was good for him and the baby. She often hummed to Mary in the womb, it helped ease her when she was restless, and when she was born, she found humming helped calm her until she fell asleep. It also helped calm her own nerves and filled her with love and happiness when she was especially anxious about motherhood.

When Kid reached her abdomen, he brushed another kiss to her skin. She tingled and warmed at the sensation, and ran her hand through his hair to encourage the affection.

"Yer mother's nuts, Worm," he muttered teasingly against her stomach. She tugged his hair and he grinned up at her. "What? Ya told me to talk to him." She rolled her eyes in response, earning a quiet chuckle as he looked back to the bump. His amusement waned into a frown. "What the fuck am I s'posed to talk t' him about?"

"I don't know. Whatever you want." She tilted her head back with a thoughtful hum. "Think of him like… a non-judgmental sounding board."

"That's just stupid," he grunted. She tugged his hair sharply. "Well it is…. That's it, I ain't doin' it – "

She stopped him before he could move away and shoved his face toward her stomach. She growled low. "Stop bitching and just trust me. It'll help."

"Tsh," he sneered, but she refused to let him give up. Finally he groaned loudly in resignation.

Giggling, she moved to run her hand over her abdomen, lightly prodding until she found what she was looking for. "There." Her hand stopped at a point to her right side. "He should be about there."

"You can tell?"

"Kind of," she said, shrugging. "Put your ear there."

He frowned at her, but did as she directed with a heavy sigh. She watched his brows furrow, head shifting slightly. "I can't hear anything… Just… gurgling? Swishing? Is he moving?"

"A little. He settles in that spot at night."

Kid hummed and turned to stare at the spot. "Weird," he commented, and then kissed the place she pointed to. "Yer pretty awesome goin' through this shit again."

"I am, aren't I?" She laughed while scratching her nails over his scalp.

He hummed again, louder and pleased with the soothing touch. His eyes shut and he nuzzled her stomach. Lips pressed to her, he continued to moan as her fingers ran through his hair. She could feel the vibrations on her skin, lightly tickling and pleasant.

She squeaked when the baby kicked without warning, and Kid pulled back abruptly. His eyes were wide, staring at her stomach. "What the fuck was that?"

"He kicked."

"Why the fuck did he do that?"

She giggled. "It's what babies do, though this is the first time he's kicked that hard. Usually it's some fluttering when he moves around."

"Did Mary kick a lot?"

Nami thought back for a minute. "She did, especially near the end. I'm surprised you don't know that."

"Don't think she ever kicked when I was touchin' you," he said with a sulky frown. "Tsh, that mean the worm doesn't like me?"

She couldn't help laughing at his sullen expression. "No, I don't think so. He was probably curious of what you were doing and why it tickled."

Kid hummed thoughtfully, gaze stuck on the mound.

"I remember reading in one of the parenting books when we had Mary that deep voices travel well through the womb," she said, hinting he try speaking again.

After a few moments of thought, Kid nodded and settled to lay more comfortably on the bed. His arms wrapped over her so he could rest his hands on her abdomen, cupping the bump the baby was held in. He gave her stomach another kiss, making her giggle when he below over a sensitive spot.

"Ya really think we'll be fine with a boy?" He asked quietly.

"I have all the faith in the world that you'll be as good a father to him as you have been to Mary," she reassured.

He glowered up at her. "Ya always say Killer's the better father, though."

"Well," she snickered, "he technically is. I'll reconsider when you willing change our son's diapers."

"Tsh, I changed Mary's diapers."

"Once. You changed her _once_. And you needed Killer's help."

"It was gross and smelly." His lip curled in a disgusted sneer.

"Like I don't already know," she said with a roll of her eyes. "But, despite that, I know you try. And to me, that's what counts."

"Guess I just gotta trust yer right," he sighed, pressing his lips to her stomach again. "Least I got you to fix things when I fuck up."

"Exactly," she nodded, beaming.

He snorted wryly. "Ya got the best mom, Worm," he spoke to their unborn son.

"We really need to pick out a name so you stop calling him that," she snickered.

"Nah, I like Worm."

"Does that mean you're going to call Mary 'Leech' again?"

"Nope, she's still the brat of the family, so I'll stick t' that." He laughed, and gave her another kiss. "But guess we better give him a real name. Probably get a lot of shit if we named him Worm."

"I refuse to name him Worm, anyway." She shivered. "Makes my skin crawl just saying it so much."

Kid chuckled. "Worm," he sang against her stomach, grinning when she pulled his hair. "Yer mom's so rough with me when she gets mad." She snorted at the comment. "She's still the best, though. I'm the luckiest bastard alive t' snag a woman like her." Nami's ire melted away instantly then. "Ya better behave for her. She's pretty damn scary when she's pissed." He nuzzled her stomach and turned to rest his ear over her womb, listening for any sound of the baby moving again. "But that's a good thing. She doesn't put up with my shit, so I know she won't put up with any from you. You'll be alright as long as ya listen to her."

Nami smiled down at him, her hand running gently through his hair. She could feel tears pricking her eyes, glad to know he had so much faith in her, that he relied on it to keep him positive amid his fears.

"I never gotta know my old man," he continued. "Won't let ya go through the same thing. Even if I fuck up a lot, I won't leave you, or yer sister… Definitely never leavin' yer mother." That made Nami have to brush away a tear, suddenly remembering those weeks after she learned she was pregnant the first time and didn't know if she would have Kid there to support her through it all. She knew he'd never leave her, never let her doubt his feelings again. She was glad he wasn't looking at her right then. Kid never did like it when she cried. "Yer gonna have it a lot better than me, too. Got more aunts and uncles than you'll know what to do with. The brat's already spoiled rotten thanks to them. Gonna be the same for you."

He jerked back when the baby kicked, blinking down as he ran a hand over the spot. She could tell he was holding back his grin as the baby kicked a few more times, but she caught the edge of a smile as he massage her stomach.

"He likes you," she said, blinking away her tears as best she could.

Kid looked at her, utterly happy to hear that. His smile fell away quickly the moment he noticed her crying.

"Why are you sad?" He asked, moving up her body as she brushed her fingers over her cheeks to wipe at the fresh tears trailing down them.

"I'm not," she said with a shake of her head. He propped himself up, arms planted on either side of her, and glowered. "I swear," she giggled, smiling brightly, "I'm happy."

"Then stop crying," he ordered harshly.

"I'm trying," she said, a laugh and sob mixing as she struggled to reign in her emotions. She blamed the hormones, they always messed with her.

Kid growled and dipped down to smack hard kisses over her cheeks, trying to cheer her up. She laughed as she wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him as close as she could. He shifted to the side to avoid putting his weight on her abdomen, and then dug his hand in her hair as he captured her lips in a searing kiss.

She quickly forgot her strange melancholy with his feverish kisses and his wandering hand. Hunger and passion built until he released a frustrated moan and forced himself to pull away. Panting and gasping for air, he buried his face against her neck.

"Shit, gotta stop," he said between pants. His hand rested on her stomach, and he nuzzled even closer. "Can't wait for this kid to be out of you so I can fuck ya like I want to again." She snorted, silently agreeing. As nice as it was having gentle and intimate sex with him, she definitely missed the roughness that was so innate to Kid. "Ya stop cryin'?"

"Yeah," she sighed, rolling to her side as she hugged him around the neck. "Everything you said was sweet, Kid. That's why I was crying."

"Stupid reason to cry," he grumbled.

"You try carrying a baby and see what it does to your emotions," she snapped.

"Tsh, you've always been an emotional sap. Don't blame the worm."

"I will absolutely blame the worm… And the worm's father for making me like this," she huffed.

Kid chuckled as his arms went to wrap around her waist, holding her close. "You called him the worm."

Nami blinked, groaning as she realized he was right. "Damn it. We're not calling him Worm."

"'Course not, but that's definitely his nickname."

She groaned again. "You picked out his nickname before we even picked a name."

"Priorities, Kitten. Nicknames are important," he said with a snort.

"To you."

He chuckled, arms giving her a quick squeeze. He pulled away to shut off her bedside lamp, and then wrapped her up in his arms again, tangling their legs under the blankets. Their room fell silent as they settled in each other's arms, content and peaceful.

"I love ya, Kitten," Kid muttered against her neck.

"I love you, too," she said with a soft smile. She couldn't hold back her sniffle as she buried her face in his hair.

"Damn it! Stop fuckin' cryin' ya big baby!"

"Stop saying nice things, you jerk!"

* * *

 _A/N:_ _So much fluff to this one, I just couldn't resist. I know one of you guys mentioned in a review that you always saw Kid having a son - well there ya go, he's getting a son. :) I'm more the opposite, strangely. I see him as that guy who you look at thinking he'd have a son just like him, but ends up with a daughter (maybe even a whole pack of them). He's the kind of guy who would adore the shit out of his daughter - truly his princess - but he'd teach her all the same things he'd teach a boy. I essentially see him as the type to ignore gender-stereotypes, even if he has some latent biases, but otherwise he wouldn't think his daughter can't do something just because she's a girl. Also, as I wrote here, I think that after having a girl, he'd prefer girls more because then he thinks they'll look to their mother and the other women in their lives for an example of how to behave more than him (conveniently forgetting his daughter is an unruly brat like him). He's got more fears of raising a son because he had didn't have a father to teach him 'how to be a man' (I'm putting that in quotes because I lack better wording but I don't like the sentiment expressed with that phrase)._

 _Also Kid is that husband who thinks his wife is the best in the world (he's the same way with Killer - his best bro is the other best person in the world). He will (and has) fight anyone who disagrees with him._

 _Again, I will probably get these done faster since I have prompts for most of the chapters (thus far I have like 3 chapters to this that are original ideas). And an anon on tumblr got it right when they said it seemed Kid had Law locked away in a cage considering I have so many Kid ideas popping up lately, so I'll probably put my attention toward KidNa related things until I can get back my inspiration for LawNa things._


	5. Chapter 5

_Prompt:_ _Person A and Person B have to spend half an hour consoling their child who was crying because they weren't invited to their parent's wedding._

 _As I said, a lot of these are coming easy because I have prompts to work with. The next three, though, are going to be original ideas (one of which is for Halloween!)._

 _Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or the characters, they belong to Eiichiro Oda._

* * *

 _Fairy Tale Romance_

Nami didn't have the luxury of dreaming up her perfect wedding when she was a child. Sure, she had wistfully stared at beautiful gowns, longingly watched a bride and groom dance while stealing their guests' wallets, but she could never hope to live a settled, peaceful life with the person she loved. She was too busy struggling to break free of a violent gang leader to think about such frivolous things, all that mattered was her next job, her next score, and whether or not Arlong would murder everyone she loved if she failed.

That all changed when her friends came to her rescue, fought for her freedom, and sent Arlong to prison where he rightfully belonged. After that, she was free to dream about her future all she wanted. Marriage and a family weren't at the top of her list of preferred happy endings, merely one potential among many now that she had the option.

And then she met Kid.

If she had ever dreamed up the perfect man, that one person she would want to share her life with, Kid was definitely not it. As far as she was concerned, he was the last man on the planet she would fall in love with (well, maybe not the absolute last, but pretty close). Still, they had managed to strike up a strange friendship, one that involved a lot of bickering and the occasional half-hearted attempt at flirting. One night, with a lot of liquor to fuel them, all that changed and they woke up naked, tangled together in a bed with the sheets and pillows on the floor, along with a broken lamp, each covered with bruises and scratches and bites and aching for more.

Casual sex led to semi-serious dating to a short break-up when things began to look too serious, Kid declaring boldly that she was the only one for him, that he had fallen for her, that he'd never let her go. She balked, hid herself away from him. It was too much, too soon, and she just couldn't accept she had fallen in love with him, too. They got back together after a very loud argument and even louder make-up sex, and Nami gave in to the direction her life was taking her.

She still never quite dreamt of her ideal wedding, if only because she never imagined Kid wanting one. She would skim the bridal magazines at the salon from time to time, try to picture her walking down the aisle in a beautifully flowing white dress, all their friends and family around her, sharing her smile as Genzo gave her away. Her hair would be a perfect cascade of curls beneath her veil, breathtakingly beautiful. But every time she tried to imagine Kid standing there with his huge grin, it always fell short. Stuffing him into a tux with neatly slicked back red hair never felt right in her mind. Sure, he would look devilishly handsome, but he hated ties, hated anything that involved a great deal of pomp and circumstance. He might be swayed to have such an elaborate and fancy wedding, if she absolutely demanded it, but he'd bitch the whole time and drive her insane.

The only thing he'd be up for was the reception. It involved music, food, and a lot of booze before whisking her off to some hotel to have his way with her.

No, a wedding with Kid was just never going to happen.

And then she got pregnant.

With Kid's proposal, she had a fleeting hope she might get to plan that beautiful ceremony and wear a custom made, grotesquely expensive dress, but it was quickly squashed when she realized the money could be better spent. She and Kid shared one thing in common, after all – they were both strict about finances.

Not only would they rather use their money to buy a house and prepare for the baby's arrival, but Nami also knew that with the changes to her body, there was no way she could fit into her dream wedding dress. She made sure Kid knew exactly what she thought of that.

The day they decided to tie the knot, they went to the courthouse with a small group of their friends and had a small ceremony performed by a Justice. It was simple, easy. Nami wore her favorite sundress, Kid managed to put on slacks and a clean, maroon dress shirt. They kissed in front of everyone and they were no less happy and excited than they would have been with a bigger ceremony.

And they still got the after party.

In the end, Nami was satisfied with their wedding, even if it was nothing like what she dreamed of. She didn't think about it again, not even a fleeting 'what-if' dream where she could go back and do it all over again. For nearly four years, it never entered her mind once, not until she was settled in the family room with Kid and Mary, watching Tangled for the tenth time that week.

Mary was in a Disney phase.

Their daughter was sprawled on the floor for the whole movie, laying on her stomach with her feet kicking up behind her. She was dressed in boots, a green tutu, an Iron Man t-shirt, and a pink tiara that day. Nami joked she had picked up Kid's poor fashion sense, but she also knew that any three year old would have picked out the strangely mismatched outfit if given the choice. That was the fun of being a child.

Nami was curled up against Kid's side, her husband's arm around her as he sank down into the couch. His head was resting against the back of the couch and he had been snoring peacefully for the last hour of the movie. She elbowed his side near the end of the movie, forcing him awake before their daughter caught him sleeping. The last time she found him sleeping through a movie she wanted to watch, she complained loudly until he agreed to watch again. Nami would rather not endure that temper tantrum any time soon.

Kid jumped with the strike, blinking in confusion as he took in his surroundings.

"Movie's almost over," she whispered when he turned a glare on her. "Do you want a Mary Poppins repeat?"

He grunted, sitting up taller to stretch his frame. With a quick shake of the head, he cleared the last wisps of sleep and settled back down for the end of the movie. His cheek pressed to her head barely a minute later, and she rolled her eyes as she listened to his breaths grow gentle. She dug her elbow into his ribs until he was hissing in pain and leaning away from her.

"I got it," he growled. "I'm awake."

The sound of a sniffle drew their attention to the floor. Nami wondered if her daughter was coming down with something when she heard another one, and Kid just hoped the brat wasn't wiping her snot on the hard wood floor. They shared a look when she sniffled again, and then watched as she got up, shoulders hunched and fists rubbing her eyes. She felt Kid stiffen beside her in his perpetual hatred of tears, especially since it meant there was a high chance Nami would start crying entirely out of empathy for the girl.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?" Nami cooed, opening her arms for their daughter to climb into. Mary sniffled and wedged herself in the spot between her parents, face buried against her mother's chest.

Kid looked at Nami frantically, his expression screaming "Make it better!" while ran a comforting hand through the little girl's hair.

"Mary?" Nami prompted, angling her head to catch a glimpse of her daughter's wet eyes.

"Wedding…" the girl finally muttered, hands digging into Nami's shirt as she rubbed her face against her.

Nami looked up at the television, brows furrowed in confusion. The credits were rolling, but she knew the movie ended with their wedding. She didn't know why it was upsetting the girl so much. She had watched the movie so many times without any reaction.

"What about the wedding?" Nami asked.

"I wanted to go," she sobbed.

Nami tried hard not to laugh, but she shook with her stifled giggles and drew her daughter closer. Kid rolled his eyes, muttering something about "emotional women" and earned a sharp smack from his wife for it.

"Sweetie, it's just a movie. They're fictional characters, and it's a fictional wedding," she said. "If you think about, watching the movie means you got to go to their wedding."

"No." Mary shook her head. "No, no, no," she carried on, gripping tighter to her shirt. Kid and Nami frowned, anticipating a tantrum, but Mary stopped and looked up at her mother, fresh tears trailing down her cheeks, snot dripping from her nose, and her mouth twisted with grief. Nami wanted nothing more than to wrap her up and take away whatever was bothering her. "Your wedding. Why couldn't I go to Mama and Papa's wedding?"

They went wide eyed as they stared at her, trying to process where this could be coming from. Mary once more buried her face to her mother's chest, her shirt quickly soaking through with tears and drool. Nami and Kid shared yet another look, neither quite understanding why she was upset over that.

"Sweetie," Nami began hesitantly, "you weren't even born yet."

That didn't help as their daughter only wailed louder. "No fair! No fair! I wanted to go!"

"Brat, like yer mother said, ya weren't even born yet, so ya couldn't have wanted anythin'," Kid grumbled impatiently. "And we didn't even have a wedding. Not really. So there was nothin' to invite you to."

Mary stopped crying long enough to turn her head slowly toward her father, eyes narrowed in a fierce glare that had Kid leaning away in surprise. "Stupid Papa," she said. Kid's eyes were wide and Nami's mouth fell open in shock. She could see her husband's heart breaking. "Marry Mama!" she shouted in command. "Now!"

"What the fuck?" Kid blinked, once more confused with the direction of their daughter's thoughts. "I am married to yer mother."

"You didn't have a wedding. You're not married." Mary said with a determined nod and all the knowledge possessed by a three-year old. "Marry her! Now!" she screamed. "I wanna be the flower girl! Marry her!"

"Fucking hell, Brat," Kid growled, shrinking away with a finger shoved in his ear. "Shut up with the screaming."

"Now!" she shrieked again.

"Mary!" Nami shouted in warning. "Stop that!"

Mary relaxed to turn teary eyes onto her mother, but this time she wouldn't gain any sympathy from the woman.

"Your father and I are already married," she explained firmly. She held up a hand to silence her daughter when she looked to argue again. "We didn't have a wedding like in the movie, but that's because we didn't have the time or the money. We had a Justice marry us in a small ceremony with all of our friends." Mary sat there pouting, unhappy with the story. Nami couldn't really blame her. She and Kid were far from a storybook romance, but nothing in life was ever the same as the fairy tales. "And the reason we didn't have the time or money was because we were expecting you." Nami finished with a kind smile and pressed her finger to her daughter's nose. "If you think about it, you were technically at our wedding."

"I was?" Mary blinked. "How? I don't remember."

"You were inside me," Nami said, pointing to her swollen abdomen. "Just like how your baby brother is growing inside me now. I was pregnant with you when we got married."

"Oh." The little girl stared thoughtfully at her stomach, reaching out to poke until her brother got annoyed and kicked. She giggled for a moment, then turned annoyed as she glared up at Nami. "Then it's not fair he didn't get to go."

"Well that's just tough," Kid grunted. "He wasn't even a thought in our fucking minds back then."

"Stop cursing," Nami lectured, smacking her knee against his. "But he's right. We couldn't invite someone who we didn't even know would exist in the future."

Mary's frown deepened and her eyes narrowed. After a minute, she squirmed out of her mother's hold to stand in front of them. She looked at Nami, her mother's brow raised curiously. She looked at Kid, her father's eyes narrowed in annoyance. Mary nodded, crossed her arms, trying to look mature and gave a decisive nod.

"Marry again," she said.

"She's as bossy as you," grumbled Kid.

"I don't want to hear that from _you_ ," she bit back.

"I wanna go to your wedding!" Mary shrieked at the top of her lungs.

Kid growled low in his throat and snatched his daughter by the arm. He bent down, leveling his face with hers as he sneered. "Shut it. That ain't the way to get what ya want. It'll get ya stuck in yer room for the rest of the night with a sore ass and no dessert."

Nami frowned at the threat, but held her tongue. He had never once hit their daughter, his threats were always empty. At least they still worked, Mary swallowing thickly and giving a silent nod. Kid released her, and pat her head, a subtle reassurance that she was forgiven for the attitude.

And then she just had to pout at him.

"Shit, why'd ya have to teach her that," he muttered, sitting back as his daughter leaned over his legs, her sulky look intensifying.

"Don't you wanna marry Mama?" She asked, lip quivering for effect. She was definitely Nami's daughter when it came to manipulating her father.

"'Course, that's why I already married her, Brat."

"Then why don't you wanna marry her again?"

Nami should have felt guilty about the fact her daughter was grilling Kid, trying to get him to say something she wanted to hear. But she was curious what his answers would be, and sat back with a teasing smile, listening to him search for the right words.

"I don't need t' marry her again. We're already hitched." He glared at Mary as she crawled up into his lap and grabbed him by the shirt. There were tears brimming in her eyes again, but Nami had a feeling they weren't as real as her earlier ones.

"Don't you love Mama anymore?"

"Shit, yer really set on this, aren't ya?" He glowered. The tears began to fall, and he hissed as he swallowed the girl in a hug, hiding her face against his chest so he didn't have to see her cry, as fake as it might have been. "'Course I love her. Both of ya. Don't need a fuckin' wedding to prove that."

"Don't you wanna see her dressed like a princess and be her prince charming?" Mary asked, her voice muffled by his shirt.

Kid barked a loud laugh, grinning at Nami. "Pretty sure yer mother would never call me her prince charming. Bet I'd be the villain in her fairy tale."

Nami snickered. He wasn't wrong.

Mary pulled back to glare at him, not sharing her mother's amusement. "Then you can pretend to be."

"Why ya bein' so stubborn 'bout this?"

"I wanna go to your wedding," she answered solemnly. "I wanna help Mama dress up like a princess and then throw flowers all the way down the aisle for her and then when you see her, you'll blush – "

"I don't blush," he grumbled.

" – because she'll be so pretty and you'll kiss her and everyone will be happy and then you can get in your robot – "

"Where did the robot come from?" Nami asked quietly, glancing at Kid.

He shrugged. "Don't know, but that's my favorite part."

" – and you'll come home with another baby for me to play with – "

"Whoa! Hold up there, Brat." Kid interrupted, pressing his hand over her mouth. She wouldn't shut up otherwise. "Yer mother hasn't even popped out yer brother, don't go planning on us havin' more."

They knew she was pouting, even if they couldn't see her lips, but her eyes held that feigned sadness. She relented with a nod.

"Then," she began when Kid pulled his hand away, "you'll come back with lots of presents and toys and I want new markers so I can draw pretty things like Mama and – "

"I feel like this is turning into her birthday wish list," Kid groaned, their daughter carrying on about all the things she wanted. "She's as greedy as you."

"Again," Nami sighed, giving him an exhausted look. "I don't want to hear that from _you._ "

"But first you have to get married again!" Mary declared loudly once she was through with her list. "Please," she whimpered when they didn't agree immediately.

"Damn it," Kid groaned. "Will it get ya to shut up if we do it?"

"Kid, what have I told you about giving into her," Nami said, glaring at him.

"I know that, but she's just gonna carry on until we cave. It ain't like it's a bad thing, anyway. I don't mind marryin' ya again." Kid looked away with a shrug.

Nami melted into a smile, leaning toward him. "Aww, you big romantic softie. You want to renew our vows."

"Shut it!" he barked. "I just said I'd do it to shut the brat up, has nothin' to do with that!"

"You love me," Nami sang knowingly. Mary bounced and giggled in his lap, undeterred when he glared at both of them. He didn't deny it.

He grumbled incoherently as he pointedly looked elsewhere. Mary continued her bouncing while Nami edged closer, resting her chin on his shoulder, grinning. His cheeks and ears were turning pink with every passing second.

"Fucking… Fine! We'll get married again!" He shouted, turning to growl in Nami's face. "Just to shut the brat up."

Nami brushed off his excuse and leaned in to brush a kiss to his cheek. "You're cute when you blush," she whispered.

He growled, teeth grinding together, and then turned to their daughter with an annoyed huff. "It ain't happenin' 'til yer mom pops, Brat. If we're doin' this, she's gettin' that fuckin' dress she wants so I don't have to hear her bitch and moan about bein' too fat like the last time."

Mary's joyful squeal nearly deafened the both of them.

"I'm gonna go draw Mama's dress!" She cheered, leaping from Kid's lap to crawl up the stairs to her room.

Nami hung back, waiting until Mary couldn't see them. When she felt it safe, she grabbed Kid by the face and slammed her lips to his. "Softie," she snickered and kissed him again.

"Thought I escaped wearin' that damn penguin suit," he groaned. He snatched another kiss. "But guess it ain't the end of the world."

"And maybe we can use it as an excuse to take a belated honeymoon," she whispered teasingly. "Just you, and me. No kids."

"Likin' the sound of it already, Kitten." He chuckled, and pulled her in for one more kiss. "And we can throw another party."

"And get more stuff," she said, smiling brightly, eyes shining with greed.

"Maybe our friends will pay for the honeymoon," he suggested. "Couple of 'em owe ya money, anyway. And rather than get a bunch of stuff for the kids like ya know we'll get, just ask for cash."

"I like that idea." She kissed him again. "I married a genius."

"Don't ya forget it," he chuckled.

"Mama! I need the glitter!" Mary shouted from upstairs, breaking up their planning.

"I better go help before she climbs on chairs to get it again," Nami sighed. As she got up, she leaned in to brush her lips over his ear, leaving him with once last teasing remark. "I'll reward you later for you romanticism."

"I ain't a fuckin' romantic…" he growled. "But damn right you will."

* * *

 _A/N: Poor Kid is regularly ganged up on by Nami and their daughter. He can never win._


	6. Chapter 6

_This goes from fun Halloween family pranks to very serious material, whoops. The next two chapters of the fic don't have prompts, but I know exactly how they're going to go, especially the next one. As much as this is a light-hearted fic, I can't resist bringing in a little heavier material._

 _Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or the characters, they belong to Eiichiro Oda._

* * *

 _A Real Fright_

Halloween was Kid's favorite time of the year. There was candy and costumes and no matter how old he got, he loved trick-or-treating. In fact, having a child made it possible for him to go door to door for free candy again without people thinking he was there to rob them. A grown up Iron Man carting around a mini-Iron Man dressed in a tutu really gave people a different impression compared to a gore-ridden maniac whose metal claws looked far too real for comfort.

Kid was a surprisingly intelligent, oft serious minded man with a short temper and cynical views of the world, but he had a playful, almost child-like, streak that came out in full force at Halloween.

Nami loved to see him having so much fun, even if she swore she was going to murder him someday for it.

Kid was a prankster. He took trick-or-treating seriously. He got candy, or the house got a fancy new look with toilet paper and eggs. And if you were one of his friends, based on a very liberal definition of the word, you always had to expect him to do something. This went doubly so if your name was Trafalgar Law.

Law nearly killed her husband when he loosed a live flamingo in the doctor's apartment one year.

The only person who was usually safe from his terror was Nami, if only because the first time he dared do something to scare her witless, she refused to sleep with him for a month. He wasn't stupid enough to make that mistake again. At most now, he would leave a fake spider on her desk, or make her watch a horror movie with him. When she was at her most tense and terrified, clinging to him as she waited for the worst of it, he'd ever so gently run a finger along a sensitive spot on her neck and watch her jump over a foot into the air with a loud scream. That never failed to amuse him, and he loved it when she rounded on him, swinging her fists until he caught them and tackled her to the couch, or floor, or wherever.

She would never admit to enjoying those particular innocent pranks, or at least the aftermath of them.

After six years together, between dating and marriage, Nami naively thought she was safe from her husband's mischievous need to inflict terror over the holiday.

She should never have let her guard down.

It was a few weeks before Halloween, and Kid was in the living room, his laptop open, searching out costumes for he and Mary. Killer was beside him, flipping through a catalog from one of the shops that came in the mail, aiding in the search. Kid had their daughter standing between his legs. He leaned over her with a hand and chin resting on her head despite her excited bouncing as she pointed at every single costume he scrolled past.

"This one, Papa! No! This one! I wanna be a mermaid! And a cop! And a thief! And prince charming - "

"Prince charming? I thought you'd pick the princess?" Kid's brow rose and he tilted his head down.

"I was already a princess. I wanna be prince charming and defeat the dragon. Ah!" She jumped enough to force Kid back, and turned to plant her hands on his legs. "Papa! You be the dragon!"

Kid snorted at her idea. "I'll think about it," he said, nudging her to turn back to the computer. "Ya gotta make up yer mind, anyway. Ya can't be a cop and a thief. Just ask yer mom. She has enough experience dealin' with the cops as a thief."

"Oh, I don't know," Nami sighed as she came out from the kitchen, a sugar cookie in hand for Mary. Only one. That girl did not need any more energy. Mary squealed and took the treat while Kid glowered up at her. His annoyance vanished when she handed a second cookie to him that he didn't waste a moment snagging from her hand with a thankful grin. "I do remember meeting quite a few thieving cops."

"Guess ya got a point," he grunted. "But I doubt you knew any that were also mermaids and prince charming."

Nami giggled as she took a seat beside him. "Nope. None that I know of."

"Kid," Killer spoke up, handing over the catalog. He pointed to a picture that brought a huge grin to Kid's face. Nami leaned over his arm to see and grimaced at the sight.

"What the hell are they supposed to be?"

"Killer hockey players," Kid said, still grinning. There were two adult male variants of the costume shown, both wearing hockey breezers, fake skates, and white jerseys that had been slashed and sprayed with blood. One had on goalie pads and a mask, while the other wore a chipped helmet, an ugly gash going down his face. Both carried hockey sticks to match their position, but the wooden shafts gave way to chipped and blood-soaked metal blades that eerily reminded her of a grim reaper's scythe.

There was also a female version, lacking the breezers but retaining the jersey which hugged the model's every curve. Nami never cared about the sexualizing of women's costumes in the past, happily made her own enticing costumes that never failed to drive Kid insane, but now that she had reached the waddling stage of her second pregnancy, she couldn't help but glare at the picture. She wanted her old body back.

"Brat," Kid said, holding the magazine open to show the girl. "There's even a kid's version."

"That looks too big for her," Nami remarked as she looked at the little boy in the picture sporting a jersey and blade much like the regular player. She doubted that would fit a four year old girl, even if she was tall for her age.

"True, but bet we can make one like it that'll fit," he reasoned.

"You mean you bet _I_ could make one that will fit," she huffed, shooting him a glare.

"We'll help," he grumbled, reaching over to smack her leg. "I gotta make my own, too."

Kid being six foot seven and a walking mass of muscle meant he usually had to make his own Halloween costumes. It was rare to find one he liked to fit his massive frame. Plus, he was cheap and didn't see why he should spend money on some pre-made piece of crap he'd have to alter, anyway.

And Nami usually made her own costumes, as well as altering Mary's from her first few Halloweens, so it wasn't a big deal… but she was still annoyed about it. She blamed it on the hormones.

"What do ya say, Brat?" Kid asked their daughter who was frowning thoughtfully at the picture. "Ya wanna be a crazy killer with us this year? We'll scare the crap outta everyone."

Mary hummed, then a moment later jumped up, raising the magazine in the air with a happy shout. "Yeah! Let's be scary!"

"I call the goalie," Killer jumped in before it could be taken.

Kid snorted, clapping him on the back. "Got it, we'll be the offense." He leaned back on the couch, wrapping his arm around Nami as he grinned at her. "What d'ya say, Kitten? Wanna rock the sexy homicidal killer look with us this year?"

Nami rolled her eyes. "Oh yes, I'm sure I'd look amazing and terrifying at the same time as I waddle up and down the street with you," she said sarcastically. Kid frowned. "Waddling, Kid. I'm _waddling._ I'm staying home this year and dressing as a sack of potatoes."

His frown deepened as he glared at her attitude. It gave way a moment later to a teasing smirk as he pulled her tight to his side. "A sexy sack of potatoes."

She snorted. "No, a fat sack of potatoes."

"Tsh. If yer wearin' it, then it's sexy," he said with a stern look that brooked no argument from her. She pouted up at him. She still felt fat. He rolled his eyes, knowing very well what she was thinking, and nudged her shoulder. "Come on, it'll be fun. Bet we can get extra candy from the neighbors when they see ya waddling down the street." She punched his side. "What!? Ya said it yerself! Yer waddling!" She punched him again. "Ow! It's a sexy waddle! Don't get yer panties in a bunch!" She punched again. "Fuckin' hell! I'm sorry! Now stop hittin' me!"

She was growling at him, thinking to get in one last shot. His eyes were hard, daring her to as he rubbed his abused side. He was saved when tiny hands came to rest on her knees, drawing her attention to Mary.

"Why don't you want to come with us, Mama?"

Nami sighed heavily. She reached out to pull her daughter into her lap. "I just don't think I'll have the energy to keep up with you guys this year." She caught Kid and Killer share a look, but she ignored their concern. She had been getting extremely tired the last few weeks, the smallest task exhausting her. Even getting up to go to the kitchen and come back would leave her winded. The other day Kid actually caught her when she got dizzy after going up the stairs, but she waved off his worried look, told him it was nothing, and shrugged from his hold to waddle off to the bedroom. He didn't believe her, but he didn't push the subject. "Next year I'll be able to go back out with you."

Mary sulked and seemed ready to argue, but a quick look from Kid got her to snap her mouth shut. She was surprisingly astute at picking up on tension between her parents, and she seemed to understand her father was worried. He was terrible at hiding it, even if he thought he could.

With a tiny pout, Mary stood on her legs and reached to wrap her arms around Nami's neck. She gave her mother a kiss on the cheek that nearly made Nami cry, and then whispered in her ear, "Me and Papa will share our candy with you."

"Thank you, sweetie," Nami smiled, wrapping her daughter in a tight hug. She would not cry. She would absolutely not cry.

"Alright, then Killer and I will go out tomorrow to look for costume shit," Kid said, relenting to Nami's decision to stay home.

"I thought you were going to rake up the leaves tomorrow?" Nami asked, still hugging their daughter.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll get it done." He waved her off and leaned toward his laptop again. He chuckled, a low, foreboding laugh that immediately made Nami stiffen. Oh no. He was plotting. "Gotta get 'em done before Halloween, anyway. There'll be big trouble fer us if I don't."

"Why?" Mary asked, perking up from her mother's embrace.

"Oh? I never tell ya this story?" He chuckled again and waved his hand to beckon her into his lap. He grinned when Nami shot him a hard glare in warning. If Mary had nightmares because of this, then _he_ could be the one to comfort her. He got Mary comfortable as he leaned back in the couch. "It's an old legend…"

Nami rolled her eyes, while Killer went to leaf through the advertisements with a quiet chuckle at his friend. Kid and his scary stories.

"They say there's a beast who prowls in the autumn for his winter meals. He was a man, cursed by a witch with an insatiable hunger for human flesh." Nami rolled her eyes again. "During the spring and summer, he lives like any one of us. A normal man. But when the leaves begin to change, so does he. His skin turns orange, his hair a dark red, his nails grow into long yellow claws. His flesh begins to rot and thin, falling off his bones. The only remedy to slow the decay is to hunt."

"What does that have to do with raking the leaves before Halloween, Kid?" Nami huffed, urging he get to the point. She hated scary stories.

"I'm gettin' there," he grumbled. "With all the leaves piled on the ground, the beast man can't be seen as he crawls through them, hiding in the death and decay that's apart of him. Now, the man is cursed, so he once was like you and me. He wouldn't go around eatin' people any more than the rest of us, so he fights the urges, the cravings. He waits and hopes it'll pass that year. But the more leaves that fall, the more he needs to feed. He's never made it past Halloween. He can hold off for all of October, but once the holiday comes and goes, and he watches all the people out in those leaves, so easily picked off, with blood as sweet as the candy they eat, he can't hold back any longer.

"November is when he strikes, when the leaves are on the ground and his prey is fattening up on candy and sweets and all the tasty holiday dinners they hold." He poked Mary in the stomach, gaining a squeak. "That's why ya gotta rake the leaves before Halloween. Let 'em stay around longer, he's got places to hide and wait to strike…. But that's not the worst of it."

Mary gasped dramatically and leaned forward, waiting for her father to finish. He glanced at Nami with a twisted smirk.

"Ya know how ya like certain cookies better than others?" He asked, turning back to the toddler. She nodded. "Well, the monster's got his favorites, too. He'll eat any human. Any that he can catch. But if he can catch one in particular, it sates him for the whole winter."

"Who?" Mary asked, eyes wide and eager.

"Their skin's as pale as the winter snow. Their flesh is warm and rich, like a fire is lit in his belly that keeps him warm all winter long." His voice turned low as he reached out to twirl a finger through a strand of Mary's short ginger hair. "And their hair's the color of the falling leaves that waken the beast inside and make him long for the kill. Hair the same color as yours."

Mary screamed and Nami immediately smacked Kid on the shoulder. He chuckled at her ire before silencing Mary by pulling her into a tight hug. "Don't go gettin' scared like yer chick-shit mother, Brat. We'll take care of the leaves before he thinks t' come huntin' here."

"Mary, it's just a stupid story," Nami added, shooting Kid a glare as she put a comforting hand on Mary's back. "There _is_ no monster like that."

"Oh, I don't know, Nami," Kid chuckled. He leaned over to whisper in her ear. "Ya married a red-haired monster who loves to feast on you."

"Kid!" She screamed, smacking him away.

His amusement didn't wane as he pulled Mary from his chest. "But, yer mom's right. I've never seen a monster like that, and I got as much reason to worry as you." He plucked at his wavy red hair and chuckled to himself. "Hell. I got more meat on me than you and yer mother combined. The beast would probably rather take a bite from me before either of you."

"No! I don't want Papa to be eaten!" Mary shrieked, prompting Nami to glare at Kid again.

"Tsh," he hissed. "Like some monster can even manage it. I said he'd want to, but I'd beat the shit out of him before he even tried. And if he even thinks of goin' near either of my girls, I'll rip his ugly ass head off and feed 'im to the wolves. Ya got nothin' to fear with me around, Brat."

Mary nodded, but Nami could still see a trace of fear in her eyes. "If she has one nightmare, Kid…"

"I got it," he huffed, rolling his eyes at her. "My baby girl's brave. She ain't afraid of some stupid monster. Right, Brat?"

Mary gave another stuttered nod and Kid reached out to ruffle her hair. "That's my girl."

Nami sighed in defeat. The girl was going to have a nightmare. There was no doubting that.

* * *

The weeks to Halloween flew by with Nami sewing and decorating costumes any chance she had. The guys helped, as they promised, so they managed to have all three of them done just in time. So caught up with all the preparations, Nami had completely forgotten about the story Kid told Mary. Their daughter did have a nightmare that night, but after that she was fine, so it never came up again.

Halloween night, Kid left with Killer and Mary, sparing Nami a peck on the way out. He promised to take care of the leaves in the back the next day. He had been putting it off, which didn't surprise her, but she'd hold him to the promise no matter how much he complained the next day. It wasn't like she could do it, after all. It was tiresome enough handing out candy to the trick-or-treaters while they were out, there was no way she could spend the day raking leaves.

When the boys came home later that night, a sleeping Mary propped against Kid's chest, Nami confiscated their candy as collateral to see that the yard was done like promised. Kid sulked the rest of the night, especially after Killer went home, his candy safely in hand and a Twizzler rope hanging from his mouth. Killer didn't need the incentive to do anything, especially since it wasn't his chore to do.

Her plan worked. By noon the next day, Kid was outside in a warm maroon hoodie, cleaning up the yard. Mary was with him, a tiny rake in hand as she hobbled through falling leaves in a heavier fur trimmed coat. The wind was picking up, chilling the air, and Nami wasn't about to let her out without some protection from the cold.

She peeked out from time to time to see how they were doing. One time Mary had gotten a hold of a big black trash bag and raced around the yard with the bag fluttering in the breeze behind her. Kid was hot on her heels, grinning as he tried to catch her. The wind picked up and caught the bag, blowing it up like a parachute behind the little girl and toppling her onto her backside with a startled shriek. Nami giggled as Kid took advantage and snatched the girl up, tossing her into the air. When he brought her back down, hanging above his head, he pressed his lips to her cheek and gave her a raspberry kiss that made her shriek again.

Nami hated breaking up the moment, but their piles of leaves were blowing away, and they were nowhere near finishing.

Once they were back to work, Nami went to settle on the couch in the living room. A book propped on her belly and steaming mug of cider beside her, she took advantage of the peace while she could. Warm and cozy under a fleece blanket, Nami lost track of time as she read until her cell phone buzzed to life on the coffee table in front of her.

Perking up, she glanced at the display to see a message from Kid. Brows furrowed, she glanced out the window where Kid and Mary should be raking leaves. Her phone buzzed again and she snatched it from the table to see what he wanted.

 _Namiiiii,_ the first text read, eliciting a raised brow from her.

 _Hellpppp_ , the second said. Nami rolled her eyes. Was he really doing this?

Another message popped up reading, _Marryyyyy… Can't…. Help._

Nami began to pick herself up from the couch with an annoyed sigh. Seriously? Did he seriously think he could scare her like this? He was losing his touch.

 _She's gone…_ , his next message claimed and she glared at her phone as she grabbed a jacket. _Can't… find… her…_

"Idiot," she grumbled as she went to back door. "Kid," she called out upon sliding the glass open. "Whatever you're planning, just don't. It's not funny."

Stepping out onto the wooden patio deck, she searched the large backyard for her family. The far end of the property was filled with trees, hiding a wooden fence that backed to a small creek. The trees rustled in the chilly November wind, and she could clearly smell the change in the weather coming their way. They were expecting freezing rain that night, but she had a feeling they'd see a few snowflakes, too.

"Kid!" She called out when she didn't see him. "Mary!"

The backyard was empty, eerily quiet save for the wind in the trees and the babbling sound of water in the creek.

Her phone buzzed in her hand.

 _Run… He's… the beast…_

She rolled her eyes.

"Ha! Ha!" She laughed loudly, taking a few steps out into the yard. They had to be hiding in the trees. It was shaded back there, filled with perfect hiding holes she had nearly lost Kid and Mary in before when they'd play outside. "Very funny, Kid! Just come out already!"

 _Nami… Please… Can't find… Mary…_ _Dark… It hurts…_

"Seriously, Kid?" She huffed, almost wanting to laugh. "I know you're just messing with me! Just give up and come out!"

 _Save… your… self…_

"I mean, it's sweet you'd want me to save myself, but really? This is weak." She was in the middle of the yard, feeling confident she'd find them in their little game of hide and seek. The leaves were piled high in the middle of the trees, only one bag looked to be filled. "Don't forget, I have candy waiting for you inside when you finish. Hot cocoa, too. I got the mint flavored. I know that's your favorite, Mary."

Rustling in the bushes made her come to a halt. Her heartbeat quickened against her will and she narrowed her eyes on whoever was hiding there. "If you come out now, I'll go make some. Whip cream and chocolate chips on top. I know you don't want to miss out on that."

The rustling grew louder and she could see the limbs of the bush shake. A twig snap and she anticipated her daughter's exit the next moment…. Only to be greeted by a shivering rabbit, its nose sniffing the air before it bounded off into the trees. She huffed in annoyance.

"Okay," she snap, standing straight and squaring her shoulders. She was done playing. It was cold, and she was tired, and her book had just been getting good. "You have until the count of five, or I _will_ lock up every single sweet in the house and _somebody_ will be sleeping on the couch for the rest of the year."

She could have sworn she heard Kid snort in amusement, but the wind picked up a moment later to drown out the sound.

"One!" She called out, moving further into the trees. "Two!" A tree's branch scrapped against the fence. Something splashed in the creek on the other side. "Three!"

"Mama," she heard her daughter whimper. She froze. That voice sounded muffled, scared. She tried to fight off the instinct clawing at her gut, telling her to find her daughter and wrap her in her arms, where she was safe. They were just messing with her. Kid got her in on the prank. She knew that's what it was. "Mama…" Mary whined again, a sniffle added for effect. "The beast… Hellpppp…"

"Mary! I swear! This is not funny!" Nami shouted. "Come out right this instant!"

"Mama!" Mary cried and Nami swore she wasn't scared. Her daughter was fine. She had to be. It was just a stupid story. It wasn't real. Kid had Mary hidden in the trees, stifling his laughter while watching her panic. That's all it was. "He's coming! Mama! It hurts!" She was screaming in a way that wasn't like her tantrums. There seemed to be pain in her voice. Her daughter had just turned four, there was no way she could fake that. Could she? Granted, she _was_ her daughter and Nami could cry on command if she needed to. "Mama! Run! He's behind you!"

Her only warning came from the pile of leaves behind her shooting up into the air before a pair of strong arms latched around her. Despite her best effort, despite knowing it was a prank, she still screamed and jumped as teeth clasped onto her neck.

"Mmm, a tasty ginger. My favorite," Kid half-snarled, half-chuckled against her neck.

"Boo!" Mary shouted, jumping out from behind a tree up ahead, laughing at her mother who had frozen in Kid's hold. "We scared you, Mama!"

Nami was trying to quell her panicked breaths and the trembling of her limbs. She breathed in slowly as Mary came to dance around her parents' legs, cheering and tossing up the leaves Kid had been hiding in. How such a large man had hidden in them that well, was beyond her.

"You…" she began slowly, still catching her breath. "You little _shits!"_

"Mama said a bad word!" Mary shrieked with laughter.

"I'm gonna get you!" Nami hollered, breaking from Kid's hold as he stumbled back into a tree, cackling madly. She took off after Mary, growling under her breath. "Do you have any idea how worried I was!?"

A wave of dizziness abruptly hit her. Her vision swam and her breath grew short. She had pushed herself too hard.

"Nami?" She distantly heard Kid as the backyard grew dark. There was unfiltered panic in his voice and before she could hit the ground, he was there, catching her by the arm. She felt cool, damp grass and soil leeching through her jeans as he eased her to the ground, wrapping her in his arms. Her vision began to return, foggy and blurred as it was, and she pressed her hand to her forehead as a dull headache blossomed in her temples. Kid was cupping her face, turning her to look at him. "What the fuck was that?" He growled, temper flaring with his concern.

"Mama? Are you okay?" Mary asked softly, nudging under Kid's arm.

"Just… dizzy…" She smiled reassuringly when the spell ebbed. She was tired. "I'm fine."

"Bullshit, this is _not_ fine," Kid growled. He narrowed his eyes on her when she opened her mouth to argue. "You've been doin' this a lot more lately."

"I just pushed myself too hard. That's all." She sighed, trying to dispel the nagging in her gut that told her he was right.

"Is it because we scared you?" Mary whimpered, tears brimming her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine, sweetie. Though… you _are_ in trouble for that. It's just a little dizzy spell. Nothing to worry about," she reassured, running a hand over the girl's cheek. Her daughter whimpered again and prepared to climb into Nami's lap to hug her, but Kid stopped her.

"Go inside, Mary," he ordered brusquely. "It's gettin' cold. I'll help yer mother in."

"Kid…" Nami began, voice weary. He was not about to treat her like an invalid just because she was a little dizzy. He shut her up with a look.

As soon as Mary was inside, Kid reached to scoop an arm under Nami's legs.

"Kid, you do _not_ have to carry me," she snapped, fidgeting in his hold. "I can walk just fine."

"Not riskin' it," he grunted stubbornly and before she could argue again, she was hefted up in his arms. She groaned in defeat and slumped against his chest. He was worrying for nothing.

He walked silently for a few steps, eyes hard, lips set in an angry frown. He didn't even look at her when he spoke again.

"I'm callin' Trafalgar."

That was when she realized it really was serious.

* * *

 _ **A/N:** I came up with this idea while watching the leaves fall off the trees outside my office. There's one with leaves as red as Kid's hair, and others that were orange like Nami's, and I just thought - I bet Kid could hide in those leaves and scare the crap out of her. He absolutely would._

 _And then I decided, why not tie this into the subject covered in the next chapter, so woooooo, family angst._


	7. Chapter 7

_A long one, with a lot of Kid point of view because him freaking out is always fun. Also, he admits to maybe doing something a little on the shitty side. But it was done out of love._

 _Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or the characters, they belong to Eiichiro Oda._

* * *

 _The Importance of Communication_

His wife had a bad habit of putting up a tough front. He always called her a chicken-shit, but there were times she shut out all worry and clung to empty reassurances, smiling that optimistic smile he loved. Except he knew when it was fake, when it was just a cover to keep him from worrying about her. She never wanted him to worry about her. He didn't understand why, but sometimes she was just stubborn about refusing help from everyone who cared enough to give it.

Well, she married a man who was more stubborn than she was and wouldn't put up with her shit any more than she put up with his. The second he said he was calling that asshole Trafalgar, she knew she couldn't pretend everything was fine.

No matter what she said, fainting spells weren't normal. Sure, the further along in her pregnancy, the more strain her body would have to deal with, the more tired he expected her to be. But she had never collapsed out of nowhere while pregnant with Mary, so he knew this was different, that it could prove dangerous if she didn't get it checked out.

She nearly fell down the stairs, for fuck's sake! She was going to get herself killed at the rate she was pushing herself.

Nami's health and well-being was the only time he and Trafalgar ever saw eye to eye, and he was glad that prick had his back at times like this. The second he said Nami had been fainting, Trafalgar told him to get her in with her obstetrician. _Immediately_. No arguments. No delays. Get her in no matter how adamantly she claims to be fine.

He didn't even bother to check with Nami after that. He called her doctor and scheduled an appointment for that Monday morning. She had no choice in the matter.

After a morning of blood tests, urine tests, and an emergency ultrasound, they had their answer, and Kid was not happy.

Preeclampsia. He stared blankly at the doc sitting behind her desk, wondering what the fuck the word meant before she went off into an elaborate explanation that left him as confused as he was at the start. She said something about blood pressure being high. Possible kidney problems based on the protein levels in one of the tests. Impaired liver. Headaches. And so on and so on. She rattled off one symptom after another, a few he knew Nami had, the others he didn't know were present until the tests were completed.

His heart nearly stopped in his chest when she said if left untreated, it could lead to fatal complications.

Nami could die. Their baby could die. They _both_ could die. His mind shut down save for one resounding thought – _fix it._

He voiced that urgency, at a complete loss of how the doctor could be sitting there looking so calm. Nami could be dying! All because he was an asshole and got her pregnant again. He could be losing the most important person in his life, and the damn doctor didn't look worried at all. He would have rung her neck except Nami's hand was laced with his. He didn't know how she was holding herself together, either. She was _too_ calm. He knew she was panicking as much as he was, though. The nails digging into the back of his hand said as much.

"The only treatment is to deliver the baby," the doctor informed. "Once she's delivered, her body will recover on its own."

A solution! Perfect! The problem could be fixed.

"Then deliver the fucking baby!" He shouted while Nami's hand tightened in his.

"It's too soon," the doctor said with what he guessed was supposed to be a sympathetic smile. He didn't know, nor did he care, he was back to wanting to ring her neck because she dangled hope right in front of him before pulling it away, leaving him even more pissed off than before. "We still have a month before it will be safe to induce labor. Your son needs that time to complete critical development."

He wanted to scream, he wanted to cry, he wanted to go back in time and put on a damn condom before he thought to screw his perfect, amazing wife when he knew there was a chance she could get pregnant.

"Then what the fuck are we supposed to do!?" He yelled, Nami's hand silently restraining him as he sat on the edge of his chair. "She can't keep this up for another month!"

"The only thing she can do is reduce strain. We don't normally recommend bed-rest anymore, it isn't shown to be particularly beneficial in these cases, and has an increased risk of blood clots. But, I do recommend she take it easy as much as she can. I'm also prescribing blood pressure medication – that should help with the headaches and fainting spells. Fortunately her test results weren't critical, so I don't believe she'll need any other medications. She'll be perfectly fine, though I will continue to monitor her up until delivery on a more frequent basis." Kid let out a long breath and forced himself to relax. He still wasn't happy. He knew Nami. She couldn't sit still for five minutes, let alone a whole month. Plus with Mary around, there was no way she could rest. They'd figure that out later, though. The doc looked like she had more to say as she cleared her throat and shuffled some papers under his hard gaze. "On the subject of delivery," she began again. "I'm concerned that vaginal birth will not be possible."

"What?"

"We have been monitoring your son's growth closely, especially with how large your daughter was at birth. I cannot accurately determine the weight and size of a fetus with an ultrasound alone, merely make rough judgments, but taking into account the weight of your first child, I am certain your second will be just as big, if not bigger."

"So the fuck what?" Kid grunted, eyes narrowing on her.

"The larger the child, the more difficult labor can be, especially on a woman as slender as Nami," she said, gesturing to his still silent wife. He glanced at her and frowned at how pale she was. Her eyes looked empty, devoid of all emotion. She was hiding in herself. That pissed him off.

"And?" He prompted the doctor to continue, clinging to every shred of patience that did not normally exist within him.

"I'm recommending we deliver through a Caesarian section," the doctor finished bluntly.

"What!?" He shouted, this time jumping to his feet. Nami's hand held to his even tighter and he heard her release a long breath, but she continued to remain silent. "You want to slice my wife open!?"

"It is a perfectly safe procedure," the doctor reassured, hands raised in an attempt to calm him. "I understand it sounds frightening – "

"You just finished telling me my wife and kid could die, and now you're telling me you want to cut her open! How the fuck else is it supposed to sound!?"

"Kid," the doctor stared hard at him. "Women have been delivering through C-section for a very long time. The procedure has advanced to the point it is almost routine. There are risks and complications, yes, but I assure you that this is the best option for her and the baby's health. A large baby is difficult to pass through the birth canal, meaning a longer, potentially more painful delivery. The longer the labor, the more risk to Nami and the child. It could endanger both of their lives." He sank back into his chair with her frank statement. "I would only suggest this as a last resort. We could still induce for a vaginal labor and hope it proceeds as well as your first did, but if it appears to be too much for Nami's body, then you may have no choice in the matter."

"It's fine," Nami finally spoke up. Kid turned to her and glowered at her bright, optimistic smile. Her voice wavered slightly, and he knew she was putting up a brave front again. "If it's the best option, then we'll proceed with that."

With a nod and smile from the doctor, the appointment was over and they were sent home with a pile of pamphlets and packets to read through. Kid's head spun as he stared at them until Nami took them from him and set them on her lap for the drive home. Her smile was gone, she didn't even begin to leaf through the material, and she sat in silence, staring out the window as he drove them home.

"If yer scared, just tell me," he tried to coax her into sharing some of her thoughts. He really hated when she went silent. It worried him.

"I'm fine," she said flatly.

"No you're not," he grumbled under his breath, but she merely gave him that bright smile he knew was fake and he realized he wasn't getting anything out of her, at least not now. Even if she _was_ fine with everything, he definitely wasn't.

He was scared shitless.

* * *

After a quick stop at the store for her prescription and some groceries, they came home to find their daughter coloring at the coffee table with Robin and Killer helping. Robin had been tasked to babysit that day, but after texting Killer while he was in the store to tell him what the diagnosis was, his best friend made his way to the house to do what he could to help.

"Mama!" Mary called out, leaping from the floor to run to her mother. "Did the doctor make you all better?"

Nami giggled, crouching down to greet their daughter while Kid dragged the grocery bags to the kitchen. "Not yet. She gave me some medicine and told me to rest, then I'll be all better."

"Good," she nodded, taking her by the hand to drag her to the coffee table. "Come see what I drew."

Kid huffed as he watched his wife continue to act like everything was fine, that she hadn't been told her life was at risk. Killer made his way to the kitchen to set a reassuring hand on his shoulder when he saw Kid sulking.

"Doesn't sound too bad," he said. He didn't flinch when Kid shot him a glare.

"She could die," he growled low so only he could hear.

"Worst case scenario," Killer reminded. "Her condition is nowhere near that severe."

Kid growled again, but didn't say more. No amount of reassurances were going to calm him, not when the person who was most in danger was sitting over there, smiling like nothing was wrong even though he knew for a fact she had to be terrified. Killer sighed and gave him another pat on the shoulder.

"Nami?" he called out while shoving Kid out of the kitchen. "Do you mind if I borrow your husband?"

Nami's brow rose as she looked between the two men. Kid had no idea what Killer was up to, but he wasn't inclined to argue as he pushed him toward the door.

"Just for an hour or two," Killer assured.

"I guess," she said, confused gaze on Kid.

"Get some rest like the doc said," Kid ordered, brooking no argument as he pointed at her. "And Brat," he said, staring hard at his daughter, "don't cause yer mom any problems while I'm gone." His wife rolled her eyes, but at least Mary gave him a playful salute before going back to her coloring.

With another hard shove to his back, Killer had him out the door as he punched out a message in his phone.

"What the hell are you up to?" Kid grunted as he was steered down the block.

"You obviously need to talk, and Nami doesn't seem interested in it, so you can talk to me," Killer informed. "And I'm having Law meet us at the bar."

"Fuckin'…" he sneered, "I don't want to talk to Trafalgar."

"That's too bad. You actually called him about Nami's condition, so I know you'll listen to what his opinion is on this. You getting worked up is only going to stress Nami more, and that's the last thing she needs to deal with."

"I know that…" he huffed, his anger retreating as he raked a hand through his hair. "I'd feel better if she just told me what the hell she's thinking. I hate when she pulls this crap."

"She'll talk when she's had time to process the news," Killer reminded. "For now, you can vent about whatever's bothering you over a few drinks."

The bar was a five minute walk from their house. It was Kid's favorite hangout spot with the guys and Nami after they moved into the house. Laid back atmosphere with good music and strong drinks, plus it was easy to stumble home drunk if they really let loose. The number of times he hauled Nami up on his back to carry her home, his wife giggling between teasing pecks to his jaw, were more than he could count, but they were some of his fondest memories with her. He didn't want to lose the chance of having more nights like that.

Killer found them a secluded corner to sit at and ordered a two glasses of Kid's favorite rum. He really didn't want to talk. Not to the guys. He wanted to talk to Nami. In fact, he should be with her and not at a bar. What if she had another dizzy spell? What if her condition was worse than the doctor thought? What if Mary was being a brat and driving her up a wall when she should be resting?

"This is stupid," he grumbled before taking a long swallow of his drink. "I'm leavin' when I'm done with this drink."

"You're staying until you stop being an ass who looks like he's about to blow up from stress," Killer said. "At least stay and listen to Law's opinion. He's a surgeon, he can tell you what he knows about C-sections."

"I know enough about 'em. They take a fucking knife, slice her open, and take her insides out."

"They don't take them out," Killer groaned. He couldn't see his eyes behind his bangs, but Kid knew he rolled them.

"He's right. At most they only flap some visceral tissue and expose the uterus, then make an incision to remove the baby and placenta," Law spoke up as he made his way to the table, glass of whiskey in hand. Apparently he hadn't been far when Killer texted him. Kid had a feeling Killer talked to Law shortly after hearing the news himself, and arranged for him to come to the neighborhood ahead of time. "That's all that will be taken out of Nami-ya," he finished.

Kid growled at him, but tilted back the rest of his drink and waved at the bartender to signal for another.

"The incision is much smaller than it used to be, too. Surgical techniques have come a long way, Eustass-ya, this procedure is quite simple compared to others."

"I don't give a fuck if it's _simple_ ," he sneered. "They're still cutting her. She's gonna have a scar…"

"Please don't tell me _you_ are so shallow that you'd have a problem with Nami-ya having a scar," Law said, glowering at him. "She has plenty of scars, and she isn't disgusted by all of yours." He gestured to his face where thick scars ran down from his forehead and over his eye. His left arm held even more scars, and his right had two running parallel on his forearm. Nami's scars were small, barely visible. He regularly traced them with his fingers or tongue. He loved her scars. That wasn't what bothered him.

Kid glared at the doctor, his lip curled as he took his fresh drink when the bartender brought it over. He downed it in one quick gulp. "I don't give a shit if she's got one or a million…"

"Then what the hell is your problem with this one?" Law asked, annoyance coloring his tone.

"'Cause it's my fault she'll have it," he admitted, staring down at his empty drink.

Law snorted, taking a sip of his whiskey. "Well, I can't argue with that."

Killer sighed, glowering across the table at the doctor. "It's not your fault, Kid," he turned to reassure his friend. "You can't always foresee complications with these things. And it's not like you purposefully got her pregnant again…." He trailed off when he noticed that Kid wasn't looking at him anymore.

There was a funny knot in the wood beam above their table. It kind of looked like a bear? Or maybe a monkey? The swirl looked like a tail. He was going to go with monkey.

"Kid?" Killer prompted. "You said the pregnancy was an accident."

No one was at the pool table. He could go for a rack or two. Maybe he could swindle Trafalgar out of his rich doctor money. Nami'd probably love that.

"Kid?" Killer asked more firmly, leaning over the table in an attempt to get his friend's attention. "It was an accident, right?"

Kid finally bothered to shrug and the next minute he had two hands slapping him in the back of the head on either side of him. He didn't know who to glare at more – Law or Killer? What the fuck did those bastards just hit him for?

"You got her pregnant on purpose!?" Killer asked incredulously. "Does Nami know? Did you talk to her about having another child? She said it was an accident because you didn't listen when Law warned you about the antibiotics effecting her birth control. That's what happened, right?"

"I wouldn't say it was on purpose…" Kid began, trying to figure out how to word what had gone through his mind months ago without sounding like a complete scumbag. "It wasn't like I went in planning to get her knocked up…"

"But it was on your mind?" This time Law prodded him to explain further, a brow raised in disbelief.

"… Sorta?" Kid's head cocked to the side. Seriously, how was he supposed to explain this without getting the shit beat out of him? _He_ wanted to beat the shit out of himself. They leaned forward, anticipating his explanation, and he slumped over with a heavy sigh. There were no words to sugarcoat what he did. "Well, Nami had been packing away some of Mary's old baby clothes. She looked all sad and shit. Like… she was giving up something precious. I don't like when she looks sad…"

"So you thought impregnating her again would make her happy?" Law asked, brow raised even higher.

"Yes? No? Kinda?" He frowned in thought. He needed more rum. Like a whole bottle. "I don't know. I just thought it wouldn't be bad if we had another brat. Nami grew up with a sister to play with, and I know that bond is important to her, so I figured it'd be nice if Mary had someone to be that close to. And Nami can do the whole baby stage again. I know she liked the baby stage. And I loved when Mary started sittin' up and walkin' and shit. That was fun." He ignored Killer slapping a palm to his face, and went on. "I wasn't planning on it actually happening, though. I just figured that if it happened, it happened, and that'd be cool with me. So when Trafalgar said there was a risk when she was on that medication, I just figured I'd leave it to chance. If she got pregnant, no big deal."

They both smacked him upside the head again.

"You do remember she threatened to rip your testicles off when she gave birth to Mary, don't you? What the hell made you think she'd be okay with having another child?" Law groaned. "You're supposed to discuss these things, not act on impulse."

"I didn't want to get her hopes up. I know it ain't easy to get pregnant."

"Obviously it's _really_ easy for you two," Law said with an exhausted look. "And you still don't know if it was something she wanted."

"You can't determine what she's thinking all because of how she looked at some baby clothes, Kid," Killer added, sighing.

"I know," he grumbled. "I just didn't think it'd be a big deal."

"Eustass-ya, childbirth can be extremely dangerous," Law said, leaning forward. "You lucked out with your first pregnancy, but there are any number of complications a woman can experience. This one isn't even the worst. You cannot go into it without understanding the risks."

Kid growled under his breath. He didn't need to be told that, he knew what Nami went through with Mary, and he knew that was an easier pregnancy than the doctor had expected. But his wife was strong, she was a fighter through and through, even if she was a coward. He didn't think another baby could put her in danger.

"You need to talk to Nami-ya about this," Law said decidedly, sitting back again as he finished his drink.

"I know, but she won't talk," he huffed. "I think she's mad at me."

"She should be," Law snorted, shrugging when Killer shot him a glare. "She's probably processing everything still."

"And I doubt she's mad at you, Kid," Killer said. "Though when she finds out you got her pregnant on purpose…"

"I ain't tellin' her that," Kid said, brow raised as if his best friend was a complete idiot. "She'll definitely be mad at me. Hell, I wouldn't blame her if she filed for divorce and left my shitty ass."

"It's the more sensible response," Law nodded in agreement. He gave them a cheeky smirk when they glared at him. "But considering she married _you_ , Nami obviously isn't that sensible when it comes to your relationship." Kid's eyes narrowed further on him. He was close to punching him for insulting her. "She'll kick you to the couch for a few nights, then forgive you like she always does," Law finished, waving off Kid's annoyance.

"She probably won't even do that," Killer sighed, giving Law one more glare before turning to Kid with a sympathetic smile. "Though, I would seriously consider her threat to your testicles from before."

Kid shuddered despite himself. She'd definitely castrate him. That was worse than divorce.

"I can't tell her," he said stubbornly.

"You can and you will," Killer bit back, pointing in warning when Kid tried to argue. "She's your wife. She has a right to know what you were thinking, what you were wanting – " He opened his mouth to argue again, but Killer silenced him with another smack to his head. "And don't you dare say you didn't want this for yourself. You might be saying you did it because you thought it would make her happy, but you're a selfish prick and I know you did it for you more than for her. If you did it for her, you would have said something to her from the start."

He didn't care if he was sulking as he stared at Killer, begging him not to make him confess to her. Nami was going to be furious, and a furious Nami was the most terrifying sight in the world.

"I know what will make Eustass-ya talk," Law spoke up with a grin. They turned to watch as he got up and headed to the bar. A minute later, he was back with two bottles – one rum, one whiskey – and proceeded to fill Kid's glass to the brim. "Get him drunk enough, he won't know how to shut up."

For once, Kid really didn't want to drink…

* * *

Nami knew Kid was upset. She couldn't blame him, she was more than a little rattled about her condition, and even more so about the prospect of surgery. But, when she was pregnant with Mary, her doctor had informed her that there was a possibility a C-section could be necessary, so she had already researched the surgery, all the risks, the recovery time. She wasn't afraid, not really. She was anxious.

At the doctor's office that day, all she could do to temper Kid's reaction was hold onto him while she let the information sink in. She already knew about preeclampsia, so she didn't need to ask what it was. It was one of the many things she had read up on during her first pregnancy. She had hoped her fainting spells weren't related to it, or any other complication, that they were just because she was tired and pushing herself too hard taking care of her daughter, and her husband, and working at the same time. To hear that it had been something serious, though, left her feeling numb. She had tried to deny it, while Kid took the initiative to get her checked out. If he hadn't been so concerned, she might have let it go longer and reached a point where it could be extremely dangerous.

She was glad her husband was stubborn and overprotective. He saved her and their unborn son.

Adding the news of a C-section on top of that freaked her out for a moment, if only because she hadn't been prepared. Even knowing it was a possibility, she still didn't expect to be told it might be her only option this time. Kid's reaction didn't help. She wasn't surprised he blew up about it, but to see him so upset, as if his whole world was crashing down around him, that made her start to worry.

She needed to think before they talked over the news, clear her turbulent emotions. And Kid needed to let off some steam, otherwise he would continue to leave her on edge as he paced the room shouting about something that was completely out of his control. She imagined that was what bothered him most.

He was a mechanic and builder. It was his job to fix things that were broken. Well, she was broken, but he couldn't fix her, at least not by himself, and the only fix she had was a month away.

When Kid was upset or worried or downright scared, that meant his temper was on razor's edge. Anger was his default reaction, and right now she didn't need an angry husband. She was glad Killer took him out for some time alone. He could handle an angry Kid better than she could, and hopefully when they came back, her husband will be feeling more rational.

When the two hour mark rolled around and instead of Kid walking through the door, she received a text from Killer saying it might be another hour or two more, she just hoped her husband was conscious when he got home.

It was ten at night when she heard the front door bang open and the guys stumbling into the house. She was tucked in bed with a book for the night, and Mary was off sleeping in her room. Fortunately Mary slept like the dead, just like Kid, so hopefully the commotion didn't wake her.

She let her book fall down in her lap as she listened to hushed voices downstairs. Her brow raised when she heard them reach the stairs. Someone stumbled, then she heard someone shush the others. There was a thud followed by a muffled curse, and then they seemed to have figured out their coordination and steadily began climbing the stairs.

"Where is she?" Kid slurred heavily as he spoke. "I want my wifey."

Nami snorted at his drunken words. It had been a while since he'd been 'needy drunk'.

"We're almost to her," she heard Law say. He didn't sound drunk. Nowhere near it. He did sound mildly amused. "Your lovely wife is just a few steps away."

"Don't fuckin' call my wife lovely, you prick," Kid growled. She heard another stumble and curse shortly after. "She's my wife. You better not be thinkin' a tryin' any shit with her."

"Alright, then that ugly, revolting witch you keep breeding your hell spawn with is just upstairs," Law corrected. She could hear him rolling his eyes. She would have been offended if she thought he meant it, instead she snorted, already anticipating Kid's reaction to that.

"You fuckin' asshole!" Kid shouted. Again someone stumbled, and she clearly heard Killer's quiet curse. "Don't insult my girl! She's the most fuckin' beautiful, perfect, wonderful, perfect… ahhhhh…"

"Perfect?" Law suggested with a snort.

"Yeah, that…" Kid grunted. "She's the best woman ever. Yer just jealous."

So Kid wasn't just 'needy drunk', he was 'adoring drunk.' _That_ could be interesting.

"Right. Right. Seething with jealousy," Law chuckled as they returned to their ascent.

"Heh." She could hear Kid grinning stupidly with his short laugh. "Damn right ya are. I got me a damn queen…" She cocked her head when she heard him trail off. "I don't deserve her," he said sullenly.

Oh boy, it was 'mood swing drunk.' That could prove to be a headache she didn't need.

"Don't say that," Killer consoled. She heard someone give Kid a sharp slap on the back, most likely Killer.

"I want my wifey," Kid whined again.

"Almost there, big guy," Killer sighed just as they made it to the top of the stairs.

She could see their shadows playing on the wall, hear the three men try to wedge their way through to the room. When they finally reached the room and nudged the door open, her brow went up again at the sight of Kid slumped between the two men. His head was hanging down, mouth open as he seemed to have fallen asleep for the last few steps. She could hear him snoring softly, and she spied drool falling from the corner of his mouth. Somewhere in the night his headband had been tugged off and was sitting around his neck, letting his red hair fall into his face.

"Hey Nami," Killer greeted. He wore a guilty smile, unlike Law who looked as smug as ever with his lop-sided grin. She had a feeling this was more his doing than Killer's.

"Hey guys," she said back.

Kid perked up at the sound of her voice. His head shot up as he blinked away his alcohol induced drowsiness. It was actually cute to watch the huge grin spread over his face when he saw her sitting there in bed. Just like their daughter's reaction when she'd come home from work.

"Nam-Nam!" he shouted, and her mouth fell open in shock. He had never, not once, not ever, called her that. _No one_ had ever given her that nickname.

"How drunk did you get him!?" she shrieked, eyes landing on Law.

Her friend's grin was frighteningly wide. " _Very_ ," he answered.

"Why!?" she asked while the guys began to pull Kid the rest of the way into the room. He was practically bouncing between them, singing the unexpected nickname quietly to himself. He was literally their four-year old daughter with the way he was acting. She was going to kill the guys for this.

"He was upset," Law explained, releasing Kid when they reached the bed. Her husband collapsed with a silly chuckle and sat there grinning at his lap. "We were just cheering him up and reassuring him that everything would be alright."

"You didn't have to get him this drunk to do it!"

"Trust me," Law said quietly, coming over to her side of the bed as Killer began the arduous task of helping Kid undress. "We definitely had to get him this drunk." She glared up at Law in disbelief while he took to inspecting the prescription bottle beside her bed. He nodded, humming to himself, and then moved on to looking at the pre-natal vitamins and iron supplements sitting on the nightstand, too. He crouched down beside the bed, amusement vanishing into a stern frown. "You shouldn't have waited so long to get checked out," he lectured. Nami huffed, arms crossing over her chest, and glared harder. "You worried Eustass-ya with your condition." His gaze flit to her husband who sat there with his red shirt stuck around his head, Killer literally peeling him out of it.

"You really didn't have to get him this drunk to make him feel better," she snapped at Law.

"We didn't get him drunk to comfort him," he frowned. "We got him drunk because he has something he needs to talk to you about." Once again, her brow rose as she turned to stare at Kid before he fell back in the bed, legs raising for Killer to take off his cargo pants. "Eustass-ya," Law called to him. Kid angled his head back and attempted to glower, but his unfocused eyes took away its usual potency. "You have something to talk to Nami-ya about. Remember?"

Kid openly pouted, but Law merely held his hard stare until he finally turned to pout at Nami.

"I'm sorry," he said, twisting on the bed and climbing toward her while Killer still pulled at the legs of his pants. "I'm really sorry."

"Seriously, you guys," she sighed as Kid reached her. His arms wound around her shoulders and his face buried into her neck. He was going to be pissed when he realized Law was there to witness this show of emotion. Hell, he was going to be pissed they got him drunk enough to show that side at all. "This _really_ was unnecessary."

"It was very necessary," Law said with a shake of his head and stood up to turn to the door. "I know a good lawyer if you need one after this."

"Fuck off, Trafalgar!" Kid shouted in another remarkable mood swing, grabbing a pillow and chucking it at the doctor. He missed by a wide margin. "She ain't gonna leave me for this…" He turned back to her, sulky frown tugging at her heartstrings. What the hell did he have to tell her that had him so worried? "Right?"

She sighed again. "As long as you didn't cheat on me or kill someone I love, then no, I'm not going to leave you."

That brought a huge smile to his face again, and she watched Kid shift to run his palm over her hair. He was never allowed to drink after this. _Never again_.

"That's my pretty kitty-cat. I knew you'd forgive me," he snickered.

"I haven't forgiven you because I don't know what you're apologizing for," she huffed, rolling her eyes.

"I love petting my kitten." Her brow rose, waiting for the more blatant part of his little innuendo. "Yer hair's pretty," he said instead. "And soft. I like yer hair."

"Oh. My. God. I'm going to kill you both for this." Her eyes were wide as she inched away from Kid. Seriously, what was wrong with him? "You broke my husband."

"No we didn't," Law said. He then leaned forward where he stood at the door, snapping his fingers and whistling as if signaling a dog. She frowned when Kid actually turned to blink at the other man. "Don't forget. You have to tell her."

"I don't wanna. I just wanna keep pettin' her." Kid pouted stubbornly.

"Pet her while you talk," Killer suggested, acting the mother as he helped get Kid under the covers. "You can do that."

Kid's mouth formed a silent "Oh" before he turned to her with a stupid smile. He didn't start talking, though, merely buried his face in her hair and nuzzled happily. She shot the other two men in the room the darkest glare she could.

"I will kill you. Painfully. Slowly. You will be begging for mercy when I am done with you," she said lowly.

"Fuck I love it when ya talk dirty like that," Kid muttered into her hair. He didn't make a move, just went back to his nuzzling. "Tell me how yer gonna kill them. 'Specially Trafalgar. I wanna know the details."

"Shut up, Kid," she snapped. Her annoyance only earned a quiet chuckle from her husband.

Law hadn't wasted any time slipping out while she was distracted by Kid. Killer was just at the door, preparing to shut it behind him, when her gaze landed on him.

"Killer!" she yelled in warning.

He peeked in with a shy wave. "I'll be sleeping in the den tonight." Her eyes narrowed on him. "And don't worry about Mary, or breakfast in the morning. I'll take care of it all."

"Damn right you will," she muttered, waving him out. When she looked down at Kid again, he was resting his head on her shoulder, staring blankly at a lock of her hair that he twirled between his fingers. "I swear you are a bigger pain in the ass than our daughter."

"Sorry," he frowned, peeking up at her.

"What the hell's so important that those two made you get this drunk to tell me? What have you been keeping from me?"

He groaned and turned his face into her shoulder like a petulant child. He shook his head. "I don't wanna tell you. You'll get mad."

"I'm already mad," she growled. "In fact, I'm absolutely livid." He whined, arms wrapping tight around her. "Kid," she warned.

"I don't wanna."

"If you don't start talking right this instant, then I will _make_ you start talking," she threatened.

"Oooo," he purred, mood changing yet again. "That's hot. How ya gonna make me?"

"Kid." Her hand dug in his hair and yanked him away from her shoulder so he could see her simmering glare. "I'm not playing around here. If this is something serious, then you need to tell me."

She watched his lips curl in, signaling he had something to say but didn't want to say it. It was something Luffy would do on a regular basis, so all she could do was roll her eyes and shove him away.

"Oi," he grunted as he fell to his other side. "Don't be so rough, Kitten…" He groaned loudly and curled in on himself with his back to her. "I think I'm gonna puke."

With a disgruntled sigh, she pulled herself out of bed and grabbed the trash can to place strategically on his side of the bed, just in case. While he got his nauseated stomach under control, she went to the bathroom to fill a glass of water, and set it on his side of the bed. The fact he grabbed it and took a few deep gulps said he was already starting to sober.

"Do you think you can talk now, or do I need to go make you some toast?" She huffed impatiently, standing beside the bed. He forced himself to sit up straight, closing his eyes once upright. His cheeks puffed with a belch that she feared might turn into vomit until he took a deep breath and then drank the last of the water.

"I'm good," he muttered. He rubbed at his eyes while trying to set the glass back on the nightstand. It nearly fell, but he just barely managed to catch it. "I'm good," he repeated.

"Okay, then what the hell is this all about? I don't know if I should be pissed or scared right now, Kid."

"Ah shit," he groaned, hand falling to his lap so he could turn somber, apologetic eyes to her. "I didn't mean to scare ya." She stood there, staring at him expectantly. Kid sighed and rubbed his eyes with one hand again, patting her side of the bed with the other. "Come t' bed, Nami."

"Tell me what this is about?" she asked insistently.

"I will," he groaned, patting the bed again. "Just come here first."

When she didn't move immediately, he pulled his hand away and peeled his eyes open, struggling to glare at her. He frowned, groaned pitifully, and rubbed his eyes one more time. "Why the fuck are there three of you?"

"Because you're completed wasted, Kid," she sighed, relenting to join him in bed.

He let out another groan. "Everything's spinning."

"I have never seen you this drunk," she huffed, falling into bed. Her movement jostled Kid, nearly making him topple over with his poor balance, but she caught him by the arm to hold him up. "Just how much did you drink?"

"Fuck if I know," he muttered. "I remember that asshole comin' to the table with two bottles, sayin' if I'm drunk, I won't shut up…"

"He wasn't wrong." She rolled her eyes. "Though you're still not talking about what you're apparently supposed to be talking about."

"I'll get to that…" He took a deep breath, and before she knew what he was doing, Kid turned to wrap himself around her again, face pressed firmly to her neck. Some of her irritation left her when his hand went to her abdomen, pushing beneath her shirt to brush gently over her skin. "I think there were tequila shots," he said. "Goldschläger, too."

"How are you even conscious?" She sighed, settling back into her mountain of pillows. His pillow was still on the floor, but he seemed content using her as a pillow instead.

"Hell if I know," he grunted. A hiccup escaped. He breathed deeply and released it with another groan. "I'm sorry."

"You keep apologizing to me for something. What did you do?"

"I knocked ya up."

"So? You didn't do this on purpose, and I could have stopped you when you didn't want to use protection, but I didn't. You don't really have to apologize for it."

"But I do… You could die this time…" He groaned again and his face pressed tighter against her neck.

"I'm not going to die."

"You don't know that."

He was being needlessly paranoid. "The chances are slim. Thanks to you forcing me to go to the doctor, we caught the preeclampsia early enough to avoid it turning serious."

"But they're gonna cut ya open," he said sullenly.

"So? That was a possibility with Mary, too. This time it's just more certain."

"Aren't ya scared?" he asked at a hush.

She sighed, and reached up to run her hand through his hair. He really was upset. "No, I'm not."

"Don't fuckin' lie, Kitten. Ya looked terrified today."

"I was anxious and overwhelmed, but I wouldn't say I was scared. I researched everything there was to know about pregnancy when we had Mary. In terms of facts, I was completely prepared to deal with this. I just hadn't expected it. I know everything will be fine, though. You don't have to worry." She nestled her cheek atop his head, listening to his steady breathing. He was silent for a while, and she almost thought he had passed out until she felt his hand grip her abdomen near where she knew the baby had settled for the night.

"Still feel like shit for knockin' ya up," he muttered.

"You really shouldn't, at least not so much that you have to drink away your guilt, Kid," she snickered. "It was an accident."

There was another extended silence, and then he shifted. "About that," he began quietly as his arm wrapped tight beneath her, the other holding fast to her waist. Her brow rose and she tilted her head to get a glimpse of his face. He kept it hidden, turning it into her hair. "It might not have been an accident…"

"What?" she asked, voice dangerously low.

"I kinda… maybe… accidentally-on-purpose… knocked you up…" he confessed.

"You did what!?" she screamed. Too drunk, even his strong hold wasn't enough to hold her down. He buried himself beneath his arms and her pillows as she sat up to smack his head, his shoulders, wherever she could reach. "You jerk!" she yelled over a flurry of hits. "You asshole!" He grunted when a palm smacked hard to his side. "You did this to me on purpose!? What the hell possessed you to impregnate me again!? Have you lost your damn mind!? Why didn't you say anything!?"

"Nami," he groaned, turning to his back as he struggled to catch her by the wrists. "Stop… Lemme explain."

"No! You damn asshole! I have never been angrier with you!"

"I know! I know! Fucking…" He finally managed to snatch her wrists. It took some effort to hold back her swings, though, but soon enough he had her under control as he lay on his back, holding her up above him. He stared at her tiredly, and growled when she tried to wrench a hand free. "Just listen to me for a sec, then you can go back to killin' me."

"Fine. Tell me your genius plan that led to me having another child," she bit out.

"It wasn't really a plan…" He frowned, hands flexing around her wrists, maintaining a firm hold without hurting her. "You were puttin' Mary's old baby clothes in storage and I saw ya lookin' through them as ya boxed 'em up. Ya looked all sad. I thought ya might miss havin' a baby. Plus…" He glanced away, frown deepening. "I kinda missed it, too. Maybe not the baby… I still don't like babies…" She couldn't help but snort wryly at that comment. "But, I dunno. Mary had been so much fun when she started walkin' and shit. She's fun now, but it ain't the same. I miss teachin' her shit."

"You still have a lot you can teach her," she sighed, relaxing minutely at what he was telling her.

"I know, but… still different." He turned to look up again, head sinking back with a groan. "Remember the other day at the playground? The brat was scramblin' up the stairs to the slide like it was no big deal. Didn't even want my help. I remember when she was first startin' to walk and she had to hold my hand, or she'd cling to my leg all wobbly and shit while you'd call her over. It was like… over and done with before I knew it."

His grip had loosened, allowing Nami to lower herself to his chest. She smiled at his sulky look and freed a hand to run it over his cheek. "You actually wanted to have another kid?"

"Yeah… I guess…" He shrugged. "I dunno. I didn't put a ton of thought into it. I just figured, if it happened, it happened. I wanted it to happen, but I wasn't gonna force it."

"Well, you kind of did," she pointed out.

"I know," he sighed. "But it wasn't like it was a guarantee. Hell, all the times we've fucked when you were on the pill, there was still a chance and nothin' happened. I figured it was a long shot."

"You should have talked to me about it."

"I know," he said, frowning. "You still mad at me?"

She glared. "Yes." She sighed when his lip stuck out in a fake pout. She hated how he picked that up from her. "Not _as_ mad as I was. I'm annoyed, and we're going to have a serious discussion about a vasectomy when you're sober. And don't even think about getting out of diaper duty this time."

"Damn it."

"If you had talked to me, then you would have known that I did want another child," she admitted softly. "But we had never discussed having a family to begin with, and I didn't think you would want one." She frowned in thought. "Actually, that's kind of why I was okay with you not using protection."

His eyes widened at her own admission. "You little sneak! You were thinkin' the same damn thing!"

"No I wasn't!" she shrieked defensively.

"Fuck that! You were totally fine playing the fuckin' odds! You can't be mad at me about this!"

"I can and I will! You were supposed to be the one against having another child!"

"Ya should've guessed I didn't give a shit if we had another when I said I didn't care what that asshole said!" He was yelling along with her, but it was mixed with laughter. Neither of them were angry. She was embarrassed. He was relieved.

"I just thought you were being an ass like you always are, and refusing to listen to anything Law says!"

"I may think that guy's an arrogant prick with a stick shoved up his ass, and he can go die for all I care, but I respect the fact he knows his shit with medical stuff. I listen to what he says more than ya might think." He chuckled, his arms drawing her into a hug. She melted into it when he brushed his cheek against hers and she felt his breath fan over her ear. She could smell the liquor he drank that night, and once again she wondered how he was conscious. As high as his tolerance was, even he had his limit and he surely had to be beyond it. "Did ya hear me tellin' him how awesome you are?"

She snorted at the changed topic. "Yeah, I did. I heard you call me your queen."

"You are my queen." She could hear him grinning. "My forgiving queen."

"I haven't forgiven you yet," she huffed.

"Yeah ya have," he chuckled. "Just tell me you love me."

"You'd like that too much," she giggled.

"I would," he said, pulling back so she could see his smile. His hand brushed over her cheek as he pulled her down for a peck. "Tell me," he sang.

"No," she said, smiling.

"Mmmm," he hummed into another kiss. "Please." He kissed her again to break her resolve.

"Fine… I love you," she whispered into his next kiss. "And I guess you're forgiven."

"Sweet." He grinned wide and snatched another kiss, longer and deeper than the pecks they'd been sharing. He pulled back after a minute, panting for air as his hands cupped her face. "Love ya, too," he whispered into the next kiss, passionate and hungry as his tongue flicked past her lips. "So much," he groaned when he took a breath and sealed their lips again. "So fucking much," he said during the next break for air.

She groaned into every kiss as he shifted beneath her. He was quickly fogging her mind as his hands began to wander, not letting her think for a moment longer. It wasn't until he spun them to the side and hitched her leg on his hip, grinding his pelvis into her, that she gained some rational thought again.

"Kid," she gasped when his lips went to her neck. "We can't," she said through a moan as his tongue traced the shell of her ear. She couldn't hold back her shiver of delight. "I'm not supposed to be straining myself right now."

"Fucking…" he groaned. He spared her neck a quick nip before rolling away to fall back on his side of the bed. He covered his eyes with a hand and took deep, calming breaths. "That's it. The worm's gonna be called the little shit from now on. Hasn't even been born yet and already he's drivin' me nuts."

She leaned over to press a kiss to his cheek. "Just a few more months."

"Months?" His hand fell back so he could look at her with a raised brow. "The second the worm's outta ya, I'm fuckin' yer brains out."

"Nope," she said, shaking her head. "With a C-section, I'll need about six weeks to recover before we can do anything. Maybe more."

"What!? Not only do I have to watch them slice you open, but I gotta wait even longer to fuck ya!? That's bullshit!"

"You'll just have to deal with it, Kid." She rolled her eyes and turned away. She reached for her lamp, intent on going to sleep now that they had discussed what needed to be discussed.

"What the fuck am I supposed to do for those months?" he grumbled.

"You have a hand," she suggested dryly, settling into a comfortable position once the light was off.

"Ain't the same." He sounded truly disappointed.

"Sorry. Make do for now," she consoled, reaching over in the dark to pat his arm.

He groaned loudly and rolled to his side, facing her. His arm reached out to drape over her hips, just beneath her pregnant belly. He pulled her closer, then shifted, and then settled. A minute later, he shifted again, his leg wrapping around one of hers, and then he settled once more. Another minute went by and he sighed, squirming beside her. She thought he might have gotten comfortable when he stilled and his breathing began to even out, but then his head lifted from the bed and slammed back down with an annoyed huff.

"Where the fuck's my pillow?"

"On the floor where you threw it, you drunk idiot."

* * *

 _ **A/N:** Drunk Kid is fun to write. He really does have a lot of mood swings the drunker he is. And he's always a needy, overly affectionate dork when he gets really drunk. He's lucky Nami actually wanted to have another child, otherwise he might really have been screwed. Still, yes, he did a very shitty thing._


	8. Chapter 8

_Short and sweet for you guys._

 _Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or the characters, they belong to Eiichiro Oda._

* * *

 _The New Addition_

When the day came for Nami to give birth, Kid was feeling more confident about it. Still terrified, but it bothered him less.

Nami had, in the end, decided to go ahead with the C-section, as opposed to inducing for a vaginal birth and hoping it would be fine. She declared her reason loudly when Kid suggested she just give inducing a shot.

"Like hell am I going through that pain again only to have them perform the C-section, anyway!" she shouted. "If you're so opposed to me going through surgery, then the next time you want another baby, figure out a way to carry and deliver it yourself!"

Law then helpfully suggested that he could find one of those devices that pulsed electrical shocks into a man's abdomen to let him feel what menstrual cramps were like, and that he was certain he could dial it up so Kid could experience the true pain of labor. Nami looked to be considering, and that terrified Kid more than the thought of her being cut open.

Those two were sadistic enough to do it.

Kid kept his mouth shut after that and let Nami decide what she thought was best. She was the pregnant woman, after all.

The day of the surgery, the waiting room was flooded with their friends and family. Kid had the guys patting him on the back, while Nami had her sister there to check and double check that she had what she needed for her hospital stay, and that Nojiko was set to watch Mary for a week or two. Their daughter gave her mom kisses all over her face for good luck, and then whined when Nojiko dragged her away – she wanted to watch.

Kid also had Nami's sort-of father figure there giving him the evil eye, but Genzo was always giving him that look, even before he knocked Nami up the first time. He learned to ignore it without threatening to rip the man's head off.

Even Law popped in to wish Nami well as she was being prepared for surgery. He also offered to scrub in for it if Kid wanted to make sure she had a surgeon there who knew what he was doing. He threatened to punch him in the face, and it looked like the doctor assigned to the C-section wasn't going to hold him back, so Law left with a quiet chuckle and pat on Nami's head, and no further remark that might end with a black eye.

Kid was surprised to learn that Nami would be awake for the whole surgery, as long as the epidural did what it was supposed to. Since she would be awake, Kid was expected to be in there to keep her company and act as some sort of moral support. In the packets he had read up on, there were a ton of things he was supposed to do, reminders to give Nami so she wouldn't worry about the procedure as it went on. He had forgotten most of them, but luckily Law handled some of that in the brief time he had been in the room. All Kid had to do was sit there and hold her hand, just like with Mary's birth, except this time she didn't have to break it to deal with any pain.

He was also allowed to peek over the sheet they had up to watch the surgery if he wanted to.

He didn't.

As much as he loved gore, loved watching movies where people regularly had their insides ripped out, he wasn't too fond of watching the woman he loved have her insides taken out. Even if he knew that wasn't what they were doing, they were still slicing her open and fiddling around with her insides, and there'd be blood, and organs, and everything that was a part of Nami that he absolutely never wanted to see in intimate detail. Just the sight of her blood on the floor nearly made him panic, and he began to wonder if Nami's cowardice was starting to rub off on him. He buried his face against her cheek, carefully tugging his mask away to calm himself with her scent. It was too bad her usual citrus smell was overwhelmed by the disinfectant and blood in the room, but he made do as best he could and somehow managed to whisper some calming words to her when they began to pull the baby out.

Just like with Mary's birth, Nami had been amazing. She stayed calm throughout, even teased him when she could tell he got panicky. She didn't have to scream and curse and threaten to tear his balls off this time, but even if she didn't have to go through that pain again, he still thought her bravery was awesome. The surgery went well, much to his relief, and once their baby boy was out, the doctor carefully held the squirming, crying, messy baby above the curtain so they could see him before the nurse ran off to clean him and do a quick exam.

That was the moment Nami began to cry.

He was shocked by her short sob, worried that the anesthetic was wearing off before they even had a chance to close her up.

"What's wrong?" he asked, smoothing a hand over her forehead. "Does it hurt?"

She shook her head as best she could and continued to cry.

"That's a pretty normal reaction, dad," the surgeon said, eyes crinkling with a grin. "She'll be better once the epidural's worn off and she's had a chance to hold her baby boy."

He nodded in understanding and turned back to his wife. He forced himself to smile as he wiped at her tears. He really hated when she cried. It felt like his heart was being squeezed and twisted and ripped from his chest. He just wanted to make it better.

"You did great, Kitten," he whispered, leaning in to brush his lips to the corner of her eye, tasting her salty tears. "It'll be done soon." Her next sob came with a stuttered nod, but she tried hard to give him a smile. "That's my girl and her beautiful smile," he chuckled, brushing another kiss to her cheek. "Keep smilin' so that's the first thing our boy sees, got it?" She nodded again, then sobbed, but her lips shock as she held her smile in place. "That's it. Gen's outside waitin' to kill me if ya ain't smilin', too." This time he got a laugh mixed with her sob. "Luffy might help."

"Don't forget the others," she reminded quietly. "Nojiko's got a mean right hook."

He laughed. "I know from experience her punch is as hard as yours," he admitted. She tilted her head and cocked a brow. "What? I didn't tell ya? Back when I got ya pregnant with Mary and was avoiding you, she hunted me down and slammed a fist right in my jaw." He tilted his head and tapped his fingers where she hit him. "That's what got my ass in gear to get that ring faster so I could see ya again. I still wasn't goin' near ya without that."

"You didn't want to come near me even after you had that," she snorted, her tears still falling, but her sobs had calmed.

"Can ya blame me? You're hot as hell and all I want to do when I'm around you is fuck you silly." He ignored the squeak of surprise that came from one of the nurses as he grinned at Nami. "But you were carryin' my baby. I had to learn some restraint, and goin' cold turkey on the sex seemed the best way to do it."

"Pervert," she teased.

"You still married me," he crooned, leaning over to give her a peck.

"Uhh, mom? Dad?" A nurse spoke up behind them uncertainly, and Kid reluctantly pulled away. "You can hold your son now."

Kid's good mood washed away immediately as Nami snickered on the table. He wasn't stupid, he read the damn pamphlets.

"I can't," he said quickly, vigorously shaking his head when the nurse held out the swaddled infant.

"You have to, Kid," Nami sang. He shot her a glare. "I can hold him first, but then you have to take him while they sew me back up. And then at home, while I'm recovering, you're going to have to help."

"Killer and Nojiko will be around to help," he argued.

"But they're not here right now," she reminded.

"Damn it," he cursed and glanced at the door. "I could go grab yer sister."

"Oh, no you won't. You are not getting out of it this time, Kid," Nami said firmly. "Stop being a wuss and hold your damn son."

He looked at her helplessly, but she cocked her brow and nodded toward the nurse. There was no escaping it.

"Put your arms up," Nami directed. "You saw me do it all the time with Mary. It's not that hard."

He grumbled, but complied and held his arms in a makeshift cradle. The nurse directed him to keep a hand up to support the head, and once she felt he was ready, began to slip his son into his arms. His heart nearly shot from his chest when he saw the boy's head drop slightly, but the nurse was there to keep it angled and help Kid adjust. She tucked the blanket he was wrapped in a little tighter, and then pulled away to let Kid hold him on his own.

"Holy shit," he breathed out in a panicked rush. He heard Nami laugh and sob at the same time, and glanced down to see she was crying again, this time a shaking hand raised to cover her mouth. She was smiling, too. They were happy tears.

Looking back at the infant in his arms, he willed his muscles not to make any sudden moves or hold the boy too tight. His son twitched with a wide yawn and then turned to nestle into the blanket, facing Kid.

"Holy shit," he repeated, this time a grin forming. He was holding his son. He was holding him and hadn't fucked up yet. He felt his legs kick slightly in the blankets and he twitched again. He swore the little shit was even smiling.

"I told you," Nami said quietly. "He likes you." She raised her hands and gestured eagerly. "Let me hold him for a second."

"'Kay," he grunted.

The nurse helped him hand the baby to Nami. She was still stuck on the table and couldn't move anything but her arms, so it was awkward settling the baby onto her chest and angling him so she could see his face. She still made it look a thousand times easier than he felt it was.

"He's perfect," Nami whispered, tracing a finger over the baby's soft cheek and jaw. She ran it down his nose with a quiet laugh. "And he's got your nose."

"And sadly my eyebrows," he chuckled, reaching over to brush a finger over the few faint reddish-brown hairs. If they were like Kid's, they wouldn't last and he'd be as hairless as his dad. "He's gonna hate me for that."

"He won't," she giggled. "He's big, too. Definitely your son."

He glanced up at the nurse at that reminder. "How big is he, anyway?"

"Nine pounds and four ounces," she answered and his eyes went wide. Mary had been a little over eight pounds when she was born. "And he's at twenty-one inches in length."

"He's going to be big and tall," Nami remarked. "Just like his Papa."

"Fuck," he cursed, looking back to Nami. "Let's hope all the similarities stay superficial."

Nami snorted. "Yeah, let's do that. I don't need three of you running around."

"Ha. Ha." He laughed, and then leaned down to smack a kiss to her cheek. "Your one tough ass woman carryin' that guy in ya. I'm proud of ya."

She beamed at his praise. "Thank you," she chirped, then shifted to signal he take the baby. "Now go show him off so they can finish me up."

"'Kay," he said, grinning. The nurse helped him get a stable hold on the boy again. This time it felt easier, he didn't panic quite as much. She stayed close as he stood from his chair beside Nami's head, and led the way to the waiting room. The nurse's hovering made him feel like an idiot who couldn't be trusted to hold his own child, but he knew he was an idiot who really _shouldn't_ be trusted to hold his own child, so he forgave her for that.

The moment everyone saw him walk out, the lobby broke into chaos with one resounding sentiment shouted at him from everyone.

"You're actually holding a baby!"

"Ha. Ha." He sneered, glaring at their wide grins. "It's not like its hard or anythin'."

"How's Nami?" Nojiko asked, the first to come over. Mary was perched on her hip, bouncing up in the hopes she could see her baby brother.

"Bossy as ever," Kid joked. He grinned at his sister-in-law's withering stare. "She's good. She was tougher than me in there."

"Of course she was," she snorted and then grunted as she lifted his daughter higher. "Someone wants to meet her baby brother."

As Mary balanced on her aunt, Kid leaned down so she could see better. She tilted her head to the side and reached out to tentatively touch his face.

"He's soft," she giggled and then poked his cheek. "And squishy."

"Don't poke yer brother, Brat," he lectured, adjusting his arms as the baby squirmed and let out a whine. "Ya better not turn into a bully."

"I won't," she whined. "I'm gonna be the best big sister in the world. Auntie Nojiko's already been teaching me what I have t' do as a big sister. Right?" She turned to smile at the woman holding her.

"That's right," Nojiko nodded. "You have to protect him and watch over him, just like I did with your mom."

"And sometimes keep him from getting into trouble," Killer added as he came to rest a hand on Kid's shoulder. "Just like I had to do with your old man."

Kid snorted. "I still got in plenty of trouble."

"And I bailed you out every time," Killer laughed.

"We should trade war stories," Nojiko said, grinning at his best friend. That was the last thing he and Nami needed – those two sharing notes.

"What's his name, Papa?" Mary asked, breaking him from the annoyed look he was sending Killer.

He looked back down at his son and smiled warmly. They had picked a name shortly after finding out they were having a boy, but Nami wanted to keep it a secret from everyone until after the birth. It was a good thing he regularly referred to him as Worm and Little Shit, because it left everyone guessing.

But now he could announce the name of the beautiful baby boy his wife gave him…

"William."

* * *

 _ **A/N:** I could not let Kid get away with not holding his newborn son (made me wonder if I'll be able to hold my friend's second daughter better than her first... without as much panicking. I don't do babies). Also, I researched C-sections for this - mother's reaction, father's point of view... I watched a video of a C-section and got weirdly emotional, so hopefully that was conveyed in this._

 _And a note on the name of their son. Like Mary, he is named after a pirate - William Kidd. I could not resist naming him after one of the pirates his father is named after._

 _After this chapter, I'll be returning to the prompts I picked for this story. I have seven left, so probably eight more chapters to this story (because I know exactly how I want to end this, teehee~)._


	9. Chapter 9

_Prompt:_ _Imagine your OTP have a baby, who is down for a nap. They decide to try and have sex for the first time since they had the kid, but while they're kissing and undressing in bed they accidentally fall asleep, and only wake up when the baby monitor goes off two hours later._

 _I took liberties with this prompt because I wanted to touch on some issues that occur with the sex life of some people after giving birth, as well as the insecurities women tend to endure. I don't know how much one of my friends voiced her body image concerns with her s/o after their first child, but she shared them with me a lot. I know for some women it can create some stress that takes a toll on their sex lives. So I figured I'd address it, how Kid would react in this situation, and how they'd deal with these things._

 _Also, obviously I have had to up the rating for this fic, all because of this chapter. It is very tame, never goes all the way to smut, but there is definitely sexual content in this chapter._

 _Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or the characters, they belong to Eiichiro Oda._

* * *

 _Insecurities_

She had forgotten how hard taking care of an infant was. Sleepless nights barely even grazed the surface. She was tired and stressed and couldn't seem to find a clean article of clothing anywhere in the house, and the moment she did it was stained with _something_ (she didn't want to know what) a fraction of a second later. To compound it all, she was sore from her surgery for weeks after. The only reason she was still sane was she had her friends around to help. Even Kid picked up more of the slack. Though, she had hoped he would take on more responsibility with their infant son after holding him and seeing that the world did not in fact end. It seemed his skittishness around infants wasn't cured so easily, and he took advantage of their daughter needing attention as often as he could to avoid a great deal of baby related tasks.

To his credit, he did change _two_ diapers, and one of those he even attempted to do without help. It wasn't the prettiest, or the most functional, and Killer changed it fifteen minutes later, but he _tried_. She was generous enough to say that counted for something.

It was helpful for him to take time out to play with Mary, though. Nami couldn't do much, not with her incision still healing and an infant requiring her for nourishment and comfort. Mary was doing well most of the time with the change. She had taken much of Nojiko's advice to heart, but there were moments she got sulky, sometimes threw a fit, other times sat there glaring at her brother. She could see signs of jealousy creeping up, but they were washed away the second Kid came in to steal her away for a game or movie.

Nami tried to give her little chores to help with Will, make her feel more involved. She did well sitting on the couch holding the baby the few times Nami dared to let her. She was more willing to hold Will than her father was, something they all made sure Kid heard frequently.

Every day the stress was getting a little better to manage. A routine was settling in, her mind was adjusting to the chaos, and her body was slowly healing.

In her eyes, her family was perfect and getting better by the day.

Except something was missing.

It was easy enough to ignore with the initial excitement of bringing Will home, she was too busy to think about the hollow pit in her chest that ached in a way the incision in her abdomen never did. As life began to settle and the emptiness became more noticeable, she did what she always did – ignored it and hoped it went away.

It wasn't depression, she knew that. Always prepared, she had read everything she could on postpartum, and she showed no symptoms outside of the occasional mood swing and random bout of crying. No sleepless nights that couldn't be attributed to a crying infant, no loss of appetite, no fatigue - at least no more than normal and it was better than she felt during her last term - no anxiety, and she absolutely was not withdrawing from her family – she had never felt closer to them.

But still, something was missing and it hurt.

Four weeks into her recovery, with the ache getting worse, she came to realize what it was, but she wouldn't be able to fix it for another couple of weeks, maybe more.

Nami loved her work. As cliché as it sounded, she was living her dream, her passion. She worked as a research professor at the university in oceanography and atmospheric sciences. Her main focus of research was mapping out the ocean floor and the geographical changes of coastal regions of the world. She could spend hours, maybe even days, losing herself in creating a detailed topographical map, exploring the implications of every shift in a continental shelf, and theorizing about the regions their instruments couldn't reach, regions she hoped someday to explore and map like all the rest.

It was why her home office was strictly off-limits to paint covered children.

It wasn't the work she missed, though. Well, she did, but if she had a moment of peace during the day, she could go into her office and busy herself with a sketch. It was easy, didn't tax her mind or body, and even if it wasn't real work, she still walked away feeling better. Except for the dull ache in her chest.

It was while she was sketching that she began to figure out what she needed.

Nami didn't only draw topographical maps for her research, she also drew detailed nautical maps of various coastal regions. She had some that were more work appropriate maps – nothing more than an outline of the coast, major channels feeding into the ocean, and other important geographical features. She also made decorative maps that Kid liked to call her treasure maps.

Her treasure maps were certainly just that. Drawn on weathered looking parchment with flowing script indicating the names of the sea and cities dotting the coast, they certainly looked like the charts a greedy pirate would keep. That wasn't what made them her treasures.

She had dozens, all from her years traveling with her friends. Each came with a story. She could look at her map, at a city or a mountain range or the ocean, and smile at the flood of fond memories that came with each one. She could recall everything from each trip, just by looking at a map. Her friends were her treasures.

And that included Kid.

Five of her maps had been framed and hung in the house. There were three in the living room, one in the den, and one in the dining room. Each had a picture tucked in the corner of the frame – at Kid's insistence – so all their house guests could see the map correlated with a certain trip.

There was one from a trip they took shortly before she found out she was pregnant. They had gone to explore a coastal mountain range, hiking and camping for days. Idly she realized that was probably when she conceived Mary, especially when she remembered that she had lost the pack with her birth control when she nearly fell into a river.

In the picture they took, nothing more than a selfie, they were sitting beside a waterfall. The close shot only showed their faces and the cascading water behind them. Kid was busy grinning against her neck, laughing between the kisses he had been giving her as she took the picture. The angle didn't show the damp log they were sitting on, Nami comfortable in Kid's lap, and it definitely didn't show his hands undoing the button and zipper of her jeans, or his hard length eagerly pressing into her backside.

Another picture, seemingly innocent, was from a trip they took to the beach with their friends. They had spent their days playing on the beach, or exploring the towns in the area. Their nights were filled with rich meals, strong drinks, and lively company until they could sneak away to end the day tangled together under the sheets of the bed in their beach-side villa.

The picture they chose for the map was from their last dinner there. The restaurant had a fire out on the patio, and while their friends were still partying inside, they had gone out for some fresh air and stolen kisses. Robin had spied them outside and took a quick picture of the two of them sharing a large wicker chair. Kid's legs were propped on the stone ledge surrounding the fire pit, while Nami had hers curled up against his, her whole body pressed tight to his side as he kept an arm wrapped around her shoulders. His head was bent down, partially hidden behind hers, but his smile was still clearly seen. She remembered that he had just whispered something in her ear, a very lewd promise of what they were going to do when they left, and was bringing his face back to hers for what she imagined was supposed to be a teasing kiss, but turned into a very heated make-out session that only ended when Killer called out to tell them they were leaving.

There were two maps from family trips after Mary was born. In one she was barely even a year old – her first trip to the beach. She was perched in Nami's arms, a floppy white hat protecting her young skin from the sun, and in a cute yellow swimsuit with blue fish dotting the fabric. Kid sat behind Nami, his arms wrapped around her waist. His head rested on her shoulder, looking at their daughter with his tongue stuck out at her. He had been pecking Nami's cheek, and every time he kissed her, Mary would scream "No!" at the top of her lungs. It had become a game for them and by the time Killer had stopped laughing long enough to take the picture, Mary was glaring at her father in defeat.

The other picture had Mary, around two years old, clinging to Kid's leg in the middle of an amusement park while he had Nami in his arms – his favorite place for her to be – and was kissing her after dragging her on the worst rollercoaster of her life. He was trying to staunch her anger, even as he chuckled at her seething looks. Mary had been jealous – she wanted to go on the ride – and she was badgering Kid to take her on the next one instead of her mother, not understanding she wasn't big enough to ride them yet.

Luffy had gotten that picture. She knew because his finger poked in at the side, just like all the other pictures he took.

The map and picture in the den was Kid's favorite. He had bugged her to draw it for him, and it was the one that started the trend of pairing pictures with maps.

It was a map of his home.

It was their second trip together. They had been dating for about eight months at that point. She had taken him back to her hometown to meet her family two months earlier, and he decided he wanted to do the same for her. He didn't have any family left in the southern port town, but he had a lot of memories – some good, others not. He wanted to show her all of it.

He showed her the garage he had worked in as a child, trying to learn everything he could in an apprentice-like position. He showed her the slums he called home, the rat-infested apartment he and Killer managed to survive in. He showed her the scrapyard he'd break into sometimes and help himself to whatever he thought looked cool, or might work well on some car or invention or whatever it was he was trying to create at the time.

She put a lot of extra work into that map, added small sketches to indicate the places he took her, jotted down why they were so important to him. He loved it.

It was honestly the worst trip of her life. Everything that could go wrong, did. At least that was how she looked back on it at first.

The airline lost Kid's luggage, and she had to spend the first day there listening to him bitch at them over the phone. She dragged him to bed to help him work off his anger, and by the next morning his stuff was found and it seemed the trip had been saved.

Their rental car broke down in the sweltering heat outside the city another day. While Kid worked on fixing it, she felt like she was going to melt as she stretched out in the sun. They snapped at each until they got into a fight about something completely unrelated. But, they made up in the backseat while waiting for the tow truck.

The hotel confessed to a mix-up halfway through their week-long visit. They were overbooked and got their reservation wrong, expecting them to check out much earlier than they were supposed to. Kid nearly killed the poor guy working behind the front desk, and Nami wasn't feeling all that thrilled about the prospect of being kicked out, either. While Kid ranted, Nami pulled out her phone to look at other options, and after finding a sister property owned by the same company, she began to work her magic.

Not only did they get a new room, they were upgraded to a massive suite that overlooked the city. No extra charge. Plus they were given free meals in the hotel restaurant, unlimited access to the room's minibar, and room service was kind enough to deliver a bottle of champagne. Unfortunately Kid broke a window uncorking the bottle, and that set them back again.

On the way home, disaster struck in the form of a massive storm that brought the region to a grinding halt. Their flight was canceled and they were stranded at the airport for the night. Only a tattered backpack and Kid's hoodie to act as a pillow and blanket for the both of them. They made themselves comfortable in a hall, surrounded by strangers trying to get home, and listened to the rain pounding down on the terminal roof, the thunder crackling outside, and wind that sounded strong enough to rip the roof off.

Nami didn't think there was any way she could sleep in that, but somehow she had nestled up against Kid's side, using his chest as a pillow, and found sleep, anyway. As she slept, oblivious to the thoughts and actions of the man with her, Kid busied himself with running a hand through her hair and brushing a kiss to her forehead. He also snapped a quick picture of the intimately quiet moment in the middle of a raging storm before she woke up to hear him whisper "I love you" for the first time.

It was one of the worst vacations in some ways, but the outcome was undoubtedly the best.

Kid was a passionate, straightforward man. He said what he felt, when he felt it. He never failed to show her what he desired, how much he cared for her, how much he wanted her. He could be intimate when he wanted to be, though usually it was tinged with a rough, almost aggressive urgency. He loved to touch her, loved to taste her, and he didn't care who saw most of the time.

He was never shy about giving affection.

And that was what she missed.

Throughout her pregnancy, Kid did his best to reign in his typically high sex drive. He still gave her affection whenever he could, but he was tempered with a control he didn't usually have. It wasn't until the last few weeks, with the difficulties she had faced, that he had become more distant. He touched her less, but the few times he'd let himself hold her from behind or shower her with kisses, it always meant something, always kept them connected.

After she gave birth, though, his affection became practically non-existent. She knew it was because of the insanity that came with a new baby, as well as the fact she was recovering from the surgery. He couldn't get rough with her, couldn't sate his long pent up desires. He had to let her rest, to heal.

Sometimes he would touch her back as he set a dish in the sink while she was washing them. It was fleeting, but with how rare his touch had become, it never failed to make her shiver and want to lean into him. But then Mary would call for him, or the baby would start crying, or the phone would ring, or some other number of distractions, and he was gone and the spot he touched would feel icy cold without him.

The ache in her chest grew.

There were times she'd catch him watching her from the door of her office while she stole away to work. He'd be a perfectly silent and still statue with his arms crossed until she finally took notice. When she'd glance up, see if he needed something, he would shake his head, turn around and leave without a word.

Those were the moments she could feel the divide between them, a divide they couldn't begin to bridge just yet.

It wasn't just a lack of sex. Okay, it was mostly the lack of sex. Kid communicated his more subtle emotions through touch. As unabashedly as he could say what he felt aloud, there were some very subtle feelings he could only convey through a kiss, a lingering touch, a long caress, or a hungry bite. Kid's ability to be intimate came in those stolen moments where it was just the two of them and he could look at her with the softest of smiles, feel her skin with the faintest touch, and take her breath away with only a few whispered words.

Of course, the gentleness was immediately lost when he'd slam his lips to hers and devour her with a greed that overshadowed her own.

She missed that closeness with him. She needed it. The pictures on the wall reminded her of that. Each came with the memory of how he touched her, kissed her, held her in those moments. Even with Mary there, even with their friends there, he was always connected, always attached.

He'd never let her go, not for anything.

Except over the last few weeks, she felt like he had, and it was killing her inside because she missed him so much, even when he was in the same room.

When Will turned two months old, Nami had been given the all clear from the doctor. Her incision was healed enough, the tests checking for lingering blood pressure issues from the preeclampsia were all normal again; they could finally be close again.

Only, Kid still kept his distance that day after her appointment. She didn't want to blame him, or think it had anything to do with her. They were busy with two children, and he had to go back to work after her appointment. There just wasn't the time. She understood.

If he tried anything that night, she had no idea. The moment her head hit the pillow, she was fast asleep. Dealing with an infant set on waking her in the middle of the night meant her body had adjusted to take advantage of whatever time she had to sleep. She felt like Zoro when she'd catch herself napping in the middle of the day.

For another two weeks after, it was one thing after another getting in the way of them. Kid had to put in extra hours because of a big time custom fabrication on a car that came in. It was going to pay well, so she wasn't complaining, but she missed him those days he stayed at work around the clock, likely sleeping on the couch in his office rather than come home. And then for a few days, Will was sick with an ear infection that left her so frazzled she refused to leave his room. While she slept in the chair beside his crib, Kid stayed in their room. The only sign he'd come in to check on her was the extra blanket draped over her and the pillow wedged beneath her head that hadn't been there before.

The divide just kept growing. What made it worse was that she had no idea if Kid felt it. Did he even know how lonely she was without his touch? Did he even care?

She even dared to think he didn't find her attractive anymore. It was vain and silly, but her self-confidence took a surprising hit after the last pregnancy. Her body wasn't the same. She was losing the pregnancy weight, but her hips were wider, fuller, and her stomach… she didn't even want to think about that. She knew, objectively, she was still attractive. Her beauty, as well as her intellect, were two thing she was always confident about. But, still that concern entered her mind and ate at her usual confidence.

She just wanted to feel good again. She wanted her life back. She wanted her husband. But every single day she felt like he was getting further away.

In her heart, she didn't know how she could think to doubt him.

She had just finished putting Will down for the night, her rapidly growing baby boy fed and happily dozing off in his room. Kid was with Mary, tucking her in and probably being roped into reading her as many bedtime stories as she wanted. He really needed to work on telling her no.

Nami changed into one of Kid's old button down shirts for bed. It was one of her favorites that she stole early on in their relationship and she became extra fond of wearing at later points in her pregnancies. The navy blue shirt fell to mid-thigh and she had to keep the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, but the fabric was soft against her skin and she liked to think it still smelled like Kid, even if he hadn't worn it in nearly six years.

It comforted her.

With her back to the door, she slipped her pearl earrings out and set them in a ceramic dish on the bureau with her bracelet. Her neck and shoulders ached from carrying around a heavy infant for much of the day, and she took a minute to stretch, groaning when she felt a pop before her neck loosened. She rubbed the spot as she began to turn toward the bed. She considered that she might want to schedule an appointment for a massage. She could use the break.

She jumped in surprise when her eyes landed on the door and the figure leaning in the frame. His expression was unreadable as he stared at her, his arms crossed, seemingly lost in thought. She hadn't heard him come in.

"You scared me," she said, frowning at Kid.

He grunted, but remained silent. Something was definitely on his mind and she couldn't help but fidget under his heavy gaze. She didn't know why she was nervous as she went to pull back the blankets of the bed, but the longer he stood there staring, not saying anything, the more her heart raced in her chest.

"The brat's knocked out cold," he finally said, frozen in his spot. She glanced up from her task of propping her pillows up so she could read comfortably. His face was still blank, but she swore his eyes looked darker than before. She smiled her thanks, and turned her head away quickly to escape the intensity. "The little shit sleeping?" he asked, either not noticing her skittishness or not caring.

"Yep," she said with a shaky nod. She was taking far too long fluffing one pillow, but she was scared and couldn't stop. Or maybe she was anticipating something from him. "Maybe if we're lucky tonight he'll sleep more than a few hours before waking me up."

She caught movement from the door, and snapped her head up to watch Kid stalk toward her.

"Good," he grunted, and then his hand was in her hair, yanking her into a hard kiss.

Whatever divide Nami had felt between them, Kid had just cleared in one swift move, leaping the gap with a hungry, urgent kiss.

"Have I ever told you how much I love you in this shirt?" he whispered hoarsely as his lips went to her neck, ravenously sucking and nipping her skin. Her legs grew weak with the sensation, her body starved from months without it that she felt her mind become overwhelmed. Kid was there to hold her up, his hands grasping her thighs, hauling her up against him as he turned them to the bed. He collapsed on top of her, kissing down to her collarbone. She gasped and moaned beneath him, her back arching into his hand when it teased over a breast.

"Fuck, I've been needing this for weeks," he confessed, his fingers quickly undoing the top few buttons of her shirt before giving up in favor of dipping his hand inside to roughly grasp a tender breast. She cried out and rolled into the thigh he wedge between her legs. She felt his length hard against her hip, the light pressure of her movement pulling a strangled curse from Kid before his lips found hers again. "Needed t' touch you," he said between kisses, his fingers flicking over a nipple. "Taste ya," he said, voice gravelly with need, before his tongue darted out to trace her lower lip. "Feel ya beneath me," he said with a hard roll of his hips. "Thought I'd go insane."

He wasn't the only one, but she couldn't catch her breath long enough to voice her own pent up frustrations. She'd yell at him later for holding back if he was feeling the same way as her and making her think he didn't want her anymore. For that moment, she wasn't going to worry about it, just soak in the feeling of him pushing her legs apart to bring his clothed length right against her aching core.

"Kid," she mewled, her voice little more than a breathy whisper as his lips trailed down her neck to her chest. Her fingers dug in his hair and she arched into him when his lips pressed warm, open mouthed kisses to the side of a breast.

Frustrated with the shirt, he began to undo the buttons again, pulling a breast free to latch his mouth around an aching nipple. When she felt his fingers brush over her stomach, fumbling for the buttons there, her mind regained some sense and she snapped a hand down to stop his.

"Wait," she gasped. Her firm hold on his hands grabbed his attention immediately and he angled his face up to frown at her in confusion. "Can we leave the shirt on?"

His head cocked to the side and he blinked adorably. "Sure," he said, tone uncertain. "I don't give a shit, but…" His frown deepened. "Why the hell should it matter?"

Under the full weight of his gaze, she squirmed and looked away. "I just… I want to leave it on." She dared to glance at him from the corner of her eye when he didn't move or say anything. He was staring still, with that deep frown in place. Her answer wasn't good enough, and he seemed to sense there was more. "I'm cold?" she tried, smiling sheepishly.

She should have known that wouldn't work.

"What the fuck's goin' on?" he asked, pushing himself up to look straight down at her with a look that said she'd better speak her mind, or else.

"Kid…" she sighed, looking away again. "I just want to leave it on. As you said, why should it matter?"

"It doesn't, but your reason does…. Something's wrong." He said the last part so softly, worry creeping into his voice, that she almost wanted to flinch. She didn't want him to worry.

"Nothing's wrong… Not really…" she tried again, her head tilting down while she took to fiddling with the buttons of her shirt. "My body's different," she finally confessed after a long moment of feeling his stare on her.

"Huh?" was his elegant response, and she shot him an exhausted glare.

"It's different," she said firmly, trying to will he understand. "I just carried a nine pound baby before having him cut out of me. Things aren't the same down there."

His head cocked again. "Well, no shit they're not the same. But what the fuck's that got to do with anything?"

She wanted to strangle him for his cluelessness, but at the same time it was making her wonder if she was turning this into a bigger deal than it was. He obviously didn't care about the changes her body had gone through, why should she?

Still, after over two months of barely any touch from him, she was feeling insecure and uncertain.

"It has to do with the fact I don't feel happy in my body and you haven't even touched me for more than a second since I got home from the hospital," she snapped at him. "I'm afraid the second you see my ugly stretch marks and scar and the flabby skin," she said, trying to hold back the tears she could feel pricking her eyes, "you'll be sickened and change your mind about having sex with me."

One tear escaped when Kid sighed heavily and sat back on his knees between her legs. Arms crossed over his chest and hard glare set on her, he did not look happy.

"First off," he began, pointing at her, "don't you dare fucking cry right now. Not until I say my piece." She bit her lip to quell her sadness at the emptiness that came with his body's distance from her. "Secondly – where the fuck do you come off thinking you ain't anything but drop dead gorgeous?" She pouted, unable to answer, but he didn't expect one as he went on. "Third – where the fuck do you come off thinking I wouldn't want to fuck your brains out right now when it's all I've wanted to do since the day I met you?" Again, she had no answer, but he didn't expect one. "And lastly – do you have any idea how fucking much I've wanted to touch you?"

She still didn't have an answer, but she was starting to feel stupid for bringing up the subject altogether.

He sighed again and rubbed a hand over his face. "You needed time to recover from surgery. I _couldn't_ touch you."

"You could have," she argued, pouting at him.

He looked at her skeptically. "What'd I say about my disappearing act when you were pregnant with Mary? I had to go cold turkey on the sex. Once I touch you, I can't stop. Just bein' in the same room as you kills me. Every time ya saw me suddenly walk out of a room you were in – it was 'cause I was starin' at ya, thinking about all the dirty things I want to do to you, but knowing I can't. I had to walk out before I tackled you to the floor and had my way with you. Pretty sure ya wouldn't like that."

"I would have," she huffed.

"Not when ya had an incision healing in your belly," he said, gesturing to her abdomen. "And _definitely_ not when the kids or our friends were around."

"Okay, you make a convincing argument there," she relented. "But that doesn't change the fact I don't feel comfortable with my body right now."

His eyes narrowed on her dangerously. "Like I said, where the fuck do you get off thinking you ain't the hottest, sexiest, finest piece of ass in the world. Anyone who says otherwise is asking to have their vision corrected with my fist."

"You haven't seen me naked this whole time, Kid," she pointed out.

"So? Doesn't change the perfect curves I can see when yer dressed," he said, grinning as he reached down to caress her hip. "I know yer body got a little curvier this time," he admitted, his hand running around to her ass and giving it firm squeeze. "I like 'em."

She glowered at him and pointedly kept her hands over her stomach, protecting it as best she could.

The moment he noticed, he sat back with a roll of his eyes.

"Alright, so ya got some stretch marks. Ya got those with Mary, too. Didn't stop me from kissing every inch of you, and you didn't seem to care then."

"It's not just the marks," she said.

"Okay? Then the scar?" he said with a confused shrug. "I like the scars ya have. I'll like that one, too. You like all my scars, and they're ugly as sin."

"Your scars are different," she pouted.

"No they're not. Just bigger and more noticeable." He rolled his eyes again. "And if it's the thing about the flabby skin – so the fuck what? It probably ain't as bad as you think it is, and once we got the time, we'll get back to going for hikes and runs like we used to. That oughta help. And if it doesn't, I still don't care."

Her pout deepened and she played with a button uncertainly. He had a point there, too. With Mary, she had time and energy to go swimming during her pregnancy. She even did some yoga. With Will, though, she was taking care of her family and working, and then the preeclampsia kept her from staying active. Then the surgery meant her body would take longer to bounce back. Still…

Kid sighed in annoyance and reached for the hem of his shirt.

She was confused as he ripped it off over his head and sat back gesturing at his torso. What was she supposed to be looking at?

"Yer body ain't the only one that's changed, Nami," he said. Her brows furrowed as she looked down at him. She didn't see anything different. He looked as strong as he always did and her fingers itched to run over his chest, trace his scars, but she really wasn't seeing the latest point he was trying to make. He groaned loudly and poked his stomach. "They're flabby now, too," he said, and she watched as his muscle pushed in easily with his touch. Now that he said so, his abdominal muscles usually didn't indent that easily. "And look at this," he said, reaching to his side to pinch a roll of skin. He'd had some love handles before, but they were barely anything more than skin and a thin layer of fat over solid muscle – protective cushioning. He took a deep breath and held it, she saw the faintest outline of the eight-pack abs he usually had. He let his breath out in a rush, and they were gone. "See? I got lazy while you were pregnant and didn't do shit to stay in shape. I fucking put on ten pounds over the last six months alone."

"What!?" she asked. She was trying not to laugh at his sudden show of vanity. She knew he could be obsessive about keeping his body in shape, mainly for strength, but she did not expect him to care because he lost some muscle definition. As long as he was still strong, that should be all that mattered to him.

"No exercise since I was too busy, and wanted to go with you and you were too busy. Plus, no vigorous sex to burn off the extra calories. 'Course we're out of shape, but we're gonna fuckin' fix that as soon as we got the time." He pointed in warning when her eyes narrowed in slight annoyance. "I'm doin' it for my own vanity, you're doin' it so I don't have to hear ya bitch and I know you're probably dyin' to get in a pool again."

That was true.

"Hell, I looked up some classes at the gym. They got family aerobic ones you can do with Mary while I hit the weights with Killer. I think they even got classes you can do with an infant, if ya wanna take Will."

"Wait? You actually started researching this?" she asked, surprised.

"Well what the fuck else was I supposed to do all the times I wanted to be fucking you!? Jerking off wasn't helping! I started thinking about going for runs every time I caught myself thinking dirty thoughts to burn off the energy, but I'd literally never be here." She couldn't help but laugh at his honesty. "Then I'd have an angry wife to deal with," he said with a teasing grin. "But with my mind on that, figured I'd busy myself looking into shit for when we got time."

"So, wait," she said as he began to lean back over her. "That custom rebuild? You slept at the shop while you were working on that to get away from me, weren't you?"

"Yep," he snorted. "I threw myself into the project hoping it would keep me sane, and it gave me a reason to avoid sharing a bed with you. I had some really not okay thoughts about you while you were sleeping. Seriously, I'm not into fucking unconscious chicks…"

"Good, because that's horrible and disgusting," she said flatly.

"But I was getting desperate," he finished with a pathetic looking frown. "I didn't do anything!" he shouted when she sent him a withering glare, raising his hands in front of him. "I got out of bed, took a cold shower, and went to sleep on the floor in Mary's room." He shrugged. "Then the project came up, figured it was a good time to get some space until you were healed enough to have my way with."

"Did it help?" she asked with a cheeky smile.

"Not even a little bit," he snorted, sinking down onto her. "Really doesn't help that I fucked you on that couch plenty of times. And that one night ya surprised me when I worked late. Brought me dinner, then let me pin ya to the hood of that old Charger I was workin' on. Yeah, I went through a lot of tissues those nights."

She laughed as he brushed his lips over her forehead, down to her nose. He darted from her lips before she could feel his on hers, and pressed firm but gentle pecks over her temples and cheeks, along her jaw, on the underside of her chin. When he finally came to her lips again, he hovered just over them, letting her feel his raspy breath wash over flesh that desperately wanted his kiss.

"Feel better now?" he asked quietly.

"A little," she said, staring down the length of her nose at his lips. They barely brushed as they spoke to each other, they were so close. It was like sweet torture, and he knew it.

"Can I undo yer shirt then?" he asked, pecking her lips when she pouted. "I swear no matter how ya change, I'll never stop seein' ya as the beautiful woman I fell in love with and somehow conned into marrying me."

She giggled while his fingers began to pluck hers away from her shirt. "You didn't con me. You just impregnated me."

"Yeah, probably when I fucked ya by that waterfall on that trip to the mountains," he teased.

"I was thinking the same thing the other day," she said with a snicker.

Letting him do what he wanted, she ran her hands up his smooth chest, around his neck, and into his hair. He groaned as she pulled him down for a long, savoring kiss. When he broke it, he tilted his head down to see her stomach and chest, exposed by his skilled fingers.

"Damn," he said quietly, voice hoarse. She squirmed and fought the urge to cover up for the first time in her life. "I seriously fucking missed this view. Yer as perfect as ever, Kitten," he said, leaning down to brush his lips to her jaw and down her neck. "I wanna lay here all night and soak ya in," he chuckled, rolling to his side and pulling her with him. A hand went to her stomach, smoothing over her skin. He captured her lips while he traced over the faint marks around her abdomen. "Yer body's amazing," he said, moving his kisses back to her neck and jaw. "So freakin' strong." His hand went to her waist and squeezed with a quiet chuckle. "Soft, too."

She huffed at his teasing, but his hand brushed around to her back and he pulled her closer. Warmth enveloped her and his fingers traced up and down her spine, over her hip and ribs, returning to her back to trail up to her neck where his fingers deftly began to massage the base where she was sore. Even as his lips wrapped around her ear, tugging at the appendage and trailing his tongue over it, his touch was lulling her into a blissful state of relaxation she hadn't known in far too long.

She yawned and pressed her face to his chest.

He chuckled, kissing back over her jaw to her cheek.

"Sleepy, Kitten?"

She hummed and nuzzled into him. He smelled good. A mixture of oil and grease and sweat, tinged with the sandalwood cologne she bought him for his last birthday. "Feels good," she managed to say.

He laughed again and wrapped her tight in his arms. He buried his nose in her hair, took a deep breath, and left a lingering kiss. "We still got a few hours," he said. This time the roughness in his voice didn't sound like before. He sounded tired.

She wrapped a leg around his waist to bring him even closer, tangle herself with him. She missed that, too.

"Just… wake me in a few minutes," she said through another yawn. "Just a couple of minutes. I don't want to stop."

"Mhm," he agreed, fingers slipping into her hair where they usually always went as they drifted to sleep. "Just a few minutes…" He stifled his yawn against the top of her head, but she felt it in the rise and fall of his chest. "Then I'll have my way with you."

"You'd better…" she whispered before she felt sleep drag her under.

* * *

Nami jerked awake at the quiet whimpers echoing through the room from the baby monitor – the first signs Will was about to cry for her.

An annoyed groan beside her drew her attention to Kid as he rolled onto his back, rubbing his eyes with one hand while the other was trapped beneath her. She took in his shirtless chest, looked down at her shirt wide open and exposing everything, and felt a pang of guilt for falling asleep when they were supposed to be having sex for the first time in far too long.

"It's fine," Kid grunted, the hand at her back giving her a nudge. He must have caught her pouting, and she glanced up to see his warm, albeit tired, smirk. "Go take care of the little shit, then we'll get some sleep."

"But…"

"As long as we're good, we'll have plenty of chances to feel each other up," he said, smirk growing. "Now go feed him before he starts screaming and we never get back to sleep."

"'Kay," she whispered, and leaned over for a quick, chaste peck.

She left him in bed to see to their son, the ache in her chest gone for the first time in weeks. She felt lighter, happier. Even if they missed out on their chance for sex that night, she voiced her fears and Kid reassured them in the only way he knew how – blunt, shameless honesty about his own thoughts.

"Damn you're beautiful."

She was almost done feeding Will when she heard his softly spoken words and looked up to find Kid standing in the door frame, staring as he had been earlier. His shirt was still off, much to her appreciation, but his gaze seemed less intense, a warmth conveyed through his subtle smile.

She couldn't stop herself from blushing. She looked away to hide her pink cheeks and adjusted to close her shirt. "You're just saying that because you feel you have to," she said, despite their earlier discussion.

He chuckled and pushed away from the door. "You've known me for over six years now. When the hell have I ever said anything 'cause I have to? I only ever say exactly what I want and mean. And right now, holding my son, yer the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

She bowed her head, unable to find a coherent response. She wanted to think he was just laying on the charm because he wanted to go back to what they failed to finish earlier, but he was right, he never said anything he didn't truly mean. He was merely stating what he was thinking. That left her more flustered than any well-timed, smoothly given come-on could.

"Here, let me take him," Kid offered, holding his hands out for Will.

She arched a brow in surprise, but she knew better than to turn him down there. He wanted to hold his son. Well, she'd let him.

Despite his avoidance, he was definitely getting better at it. He hardly needed her help to position him on one side of his chest, Will's face turned to look away from Kid as he laid it on his shoulder. She smiled as Kid swayed and rubbed his hand over the boy's back. She almost wanted to cry at the sight, but she held herself together and wrapped her arms around Kid's waist, nestling against his other side as she stared up at him.

"What?" he asked, mirth in his tone.

"I think I see what you mean…" she said cryptically. His brow arched in silent question. "I've never seen you look so handsome before now."

He held back his urge to laugh loudly, not wanting to disturb the boy wiggling against his chest, but a low chuckle leaked out and he rocked a hip into her. "You're just sayin' that," he teased.

"'Cause I mean it," she said, squeezing her arms around him. She pushed up on her toes, and he leaned over, mindful of the baby in his arms. Their lips met in a peck that was immediately interrupted by a quiet burp from Will. Nami pulled back with a giggle. "It's sad that this is probably the most romantic night we've had in… well, _years_."

"I keep tellin' ya romance is overrated," he chuckled, and pulled away to take Will back to his crib. "This is all we need."

She hummed her agreement as she leaned over the crib to wipe some spittle from their son's chin and pass one last gentle hand over his cheek. He was already starting to fall back to sleep, much to her relief. Some nights he would stay awake and demand attention for an hour or more. She hoped maybe he'd learn to sleep through the night earlier than Mary had.

"Now come on," she said, pushing at Kid's waist to back him toward the door. "You said some awfully nice things to me tonight, I _really_ need to show you how much I appreciate them."

"Oh?" His smirk was wicked as he let her push him out to the hall. "How ya plan to do that?"

"By ripping these pants off," she said, giving a tug to the cargo pants he'd fallen asleep in, "and letting you have your way with me for the rest of the night."

"What happened to sleeping some more?" he asked, even as his fingers began to hastily undo the buttons of her shirt again.

"I don't need sleep," she whispered hoarsely, arms wrapping around his neck. In an instant, his hands were under her thighs, hauling her up until her legs wrapped around his waist and she could freely grind against him. He moaned as her lips pressed to his, and stumbled toward their bedroom door. "I need my husband deep inside me where he belongs," she whispered breathlessly against his lips when they broke for air.

"Fucking thank you," he groaned, kicking the door shut behind him. "I can't go another day without you, Kitten."

"Neither can I."

Fortunately, they didn't have to.

* * *

 _ **A/N:** Kid has his moments where he does something right. I had to go this route after imagining Kid getting all huffy because he put on weight, too. I feel he probably gains weight very easily. And with him going on thirty in this fic right now, gaining weight is even easier to do, while getting back in shape is harder. Getting old sucks._

 _Anyway, I was supposed to be updating 'Possession' and I've started the chapter, but I got distracted with this. So, hopefully I'll have that done by this weekend._


	10. Chapter 10

_Another short and sweet one based on this prompt:_ _Person A is normally very dominat and has a very uptight personality, but despite this they let their young child paint their fingernails one day. When Person B notices and asks about Person A's painted nails, Person A simply gives them a smirk and says, "I think they look nice, the color brings out my eyes."_

 _Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or the characters, they belong to Eiichiro Oda._

* * *

 _How to Make Your Girls Happy_

She was sick. She hated being sick. Especially when she was sick with a family that needed her to care for them.

To make it all worse, Mary was sick, too. Mary had woken up two days earlier with a high fever and complaining of a scratchy throat. By the time she started coughing and wheezing, Nami began to feel her own throat turn raw. A day later, while her daughter's condition began to improve, Nami was laid out in bed with a fever, too.

For the whole of the first day she was ill, Nami still pushed herself to get out of bed and go about her motherly duties. Will was still being breastfed, he needed her, but she barely made it halfway down the hall before she had to stop as a fit of coughing almost made her pass out. Kid was on top of her a second later, shooing her to bed with an annoyed scowl. He brought Will to her as soon as she was comfortable, settled the baby on her breastfeeding pillow for her, and disappeared into the house to do who knows what. By the time Will was done, Kid was back with a glass of juice for her. He helped her settle in with the baby in bed beside her, handed her the television remote, and ordered her to stay put while he ran off again.

She had no idea what he was doing, but Mary wasn't racing around the house (the last thing she should be doing while getting over her bug) and Will was happy and fed beside her, gurgling with the extra attention she was allowed to lavish on him. She wasn't worried about getting him sick. The first time she came down with the flu after she had Mary, she had panicked and quarantined herself. The shock that came from abruptly weaning her daughter for that duration left her, and Mary, an emotional mess that drove Kid to call Law. Her friend made it perfectly clear to never do that again, told her that Mary had been exposed long before she started showing symptoms, and that the antibodies she was producing were passed to Mary when she fed, preventing the girl from getting sick.

She had never felt more relieved and she would have kissed Law for the medical advice if she didn't think Kid would kill him for it.

Kid was not good at taking care of sick people, not normally, but he had made an effort early on in their relationship to try. When they were dating, his form of care was to crawl under the covers with her and sleep at her side. That was it. He was her living hot water bottle, and back then that was all she needed. She could take care of herself, but she did love taking advantage of his willingness to cuddle in bed with her. Only that one time, and only because she was sick, he argued. But that one time became every time, and even nights she wasn't sick he took to wrapping himself around her as they talked in bed.

The more times he had to care for Nami over the course of their relationship, and then Mary later on, Kid became a little better at it. He at least knew well enough to call Killer for help.

That day, she nodded off with Will beside her and a terrible daytime soap opera on TV. She woke with her son missing and TV off, her blankets tucked higher, and a fresh glass of water on the nightstand. Either Kid was getting really good at playing nursemaid, or Killer had come over to coach him.

Nami eased herself out of bed to stretch. She was curious what her husband was up to while she was sleeping, and she wanted to check on Mary to see if she was feeling better.

It took her a few minutes to work up the energy to walk toward the door, where she had to stop for a short breath as she leaned against the wall. She hated fevers. She always felt drained of energy and exhausted, too weak to take care of herself, let alone the people around her that needed her.

When she felt ready again, she trudged out into the hall toward Mary's room, hoping her daughter would be in bed so she could at least check on her. The door was open a crack and she could hear tired laughter that mixed with the occasional cough that made Nami frown. She pushed the door open and her eyes widened at what she found.

Her husband, a nearly thirty-year-old man who looked to be the very definition of masculinity most of the time, sat in the middle of their daughter's room in a tiny pink plastic chair that bowed under his weight, at a matching pink plastic table covered with bottles of nail polish and cheap make-up, while his daughter concentrated on the hand he had outstretched to her. Her husband always wore nail polish, so that wasn't so strange, but he was very particular about the colors he wore – preferring dark reds and purples, black, occasionally a midnight blue – and his nail color was always painted on with a surprisingly smooth matte finish she was honestly envious of. He was good at doing his own nails. The only person he trusted to help him with the task was Killer, and eventually Nami. He also liked to wear lipstick when he was younger, and there had been more than one occasion he sported eyeliner on a whim, but again, they were dark colors that didn't actually stand out as odd on him.

But right then, his fingernails were a bright clash of colors that were not put on with the greatest of ease, streaks darting over his skin and coating his cuticles. His lipstick was a vibrant pink and his eyelids were dusted with a gaudy lavender and silver sheen. It took every fiber of control to hold back her burst of laughter as she leaned against the doorframe, her hands clasped over her mouth. A few giggles leaked out that drew her family's attention and she was met with matching grins.

"Mama! Isn't Papa pretty!?" Mary attempted to shout with her hoarse voice. She had a humidifier running, making her room warm and damp to hopefully ease her cough. While her voice sounded rough, her coughs weren't as bad as they had been the night before, so she took that as a sign it was working.

Kid, somehow not embarrassed to be caught playing make-over with his daughter, held up his free hand to show off his manicure. His thumbnail (and surrounding skin) was painted orange and bore a sticky jewel in the middle. The pointer finger was painted a messy green. The middle finger was neon blue. The next finger was an attempt at a rainbow as far as she could tell, and his pinkie finger was pink with a little flower sticker pressed to it. His other hand looked to be in a similar state of decoration.

"What do ya think?" he asked, an easy-going chuckle lacing his tone. He wiggled his fingers playfully. "I think they look nice, the color brings out my eyes."

"Oh yes," she said, chest shaking with laughter that forced her to crouch down before she became lightheaded. "Very lovely. And the lipstick…" she paused to stifle her snickers and crawl across the floor to kneel beside him. "You should have worn that shade when we first met. I would have fallen for you faster."

Kid immediately leaned down to leave a peck on her cheek, ensuring she bore a good smudge of pink on her skin.

"How ya feelin'?" he asked quietly, shifting his arm to let her nestle against his side and watch Mary return to her task of painting the nails of his other hand. She took a breath to answer, and immediately started coughing. Kid's hand fell to her back to rub firm circles over her until the fit stopped. "You should be in bed."

"I'm fine," she croaked out, pouting up at him. "Where's Will?"

"Killer's changin' his diaper," Kid answered.

His hand on her back was soothing her, and she sank into him as her eyes fluttered shut with a hum.

"How are you feeling, Mary?" Nami asked after a long moment, forcing herself to open her eyes again.

"Better," her daughter answered. She coughed once and the brush of yellow nail polish jolted to the side, painting a streak of color over Kid's finger. He barely stiffened beneath her to show his annoyance, but otherwise he took the mess in stride. "Uncle Killer made me soup for lunch."

"There's still some left if yer hungry," Kid informed, his arm tightening around her shoulders as she laid her head on his thigh.

She hummed again. "I could eat."

"Get back in bed and I'll tell him to get bring ya a bowl." When she hummed but didn't move, Kid sighed and squeezed her shoulder. "Fine, stubborn wench," he teased. "Ya wanna eat in here?"

She nodded against his thigh. "Yes, please."

His hand slipped into her hair with another sigh, and she shut her eyes as he gently swept her hair out of her face and off her neck. She could go back to sleep like that. Her living hot water bottle was just too comfortable.

"Oi, Killer," Kid said softly, rousing Nami from her light nap. "Nami said she'll have some soup."

"Got it," she heard Killer say, and she managed to pick her head up, intent on giving him a grateful smile…

She nearly burst out laughing at the state their friend was in. Apparently Kid wasn't the only one to agree to a makeover.

Killer stared blankly at her from the door, his long blond hair braided into loose pigtails. His bangs were swept from his forehead with little red bows so she could see the green eyeshadow Mary put on him that complimented the pink rouge and lavender lipstick he wore.

"Did she do your nails too?" she struggled to ask, straining to hold in her laughter.

"Not yet," he snorted, turning to head downstairs. "I'm up after Kid."

"Oh, I can't wait to see how this turns out," she said, finally giving in to her amusement, laughing openly until it turned into another fit of coughing. She swallowed thickly when the coughs ended, caught her breath, and looked up at Kid. "Please tell me dress-up will be involved. It's been too long since I saw you sport a feather boa."

Kid's responding cackle left his whole pinkie coated in silver nail polish, but he didn't appear to care one bit. Whatever made his sick wife and daughter happy.

When she was feeling better, her husband was going to be well rewarded for his efforts that day.

* * *

 _ **A/N:** I think it's safe to say that Kid is the father that would willing let his child paint his nails all the time, no matter how ugly it looked, and when they were sick, he would cater to their every whim. And of course, Killer is dragged along for all the fun._


	11. Chapter 11

_Prompt:_ _Imagine Person A of your OTP is trying to get their baby to eat some type of baby food. Said baby won't until Person A ends up trying the food themselves, while Person B laughs sympathetically in the background._

 _Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or the characters, they belong to Eiichiro Oda._

* * *

 _Food Fight_

Nami's growing family was not picky about food, at least not normally. Certainly, she had one or two things she didn't like, but if she had to eat them, she would. Mary went through a phase where she didn't like orange foods, and she blamed Kid for that with his Halloween story. That was a particularly tough phase for Nami to endure since she grew up on tangerines, and to see her daughter refuse to eat them all because of the color, was frustrating at best. She still refused to eat carrots and sweet potatoes, but Nami had finally managed to break her of the hatred toward her favorite fruit.

Kid wasn't horribly picky, but he was very much a 'meat and potatoes' sort of guy. Vegetables were only consumed as toppings on a burger, and there were some he absolutely refused to eat, no matter how they were cooked or combined. According to Killer, he hadn't been so bad about them when they were younger, but she knew that when you were a poor child with no other options, you ate whatever you could get your hands on. Now that Kid wasn't desperate for the next meal, he let himself pick and choose what he would eat.

And now they were finding out what kind of eater Will would be. They were slowly introducing him to solid food, nothing more than apple slices and wedges of her tangerines, as well as pureed baby food. Nami was pleased to see him take to fruits with a gusto. He loved her tangerines, and any time he saw her eating one, he whined and waved his hands until she held a wedge for him to suck on. If she happened to be sitting with him in her lap, he would turn and attempt to climb up her chest to steal the fruit from her hand. It was a terrible habit, but they all found it too adorable to correct, and watched as he wobbled and stretched.

It stopped being cute when he began to cry and the only way to shut him up was to give him what he wanted. She and Kid regularly argued about who their children got that behavior from.

It was all Kid's influence. She didn't care what he said about it, he was the biggest brat in the house when it came to getting his way.

Unlike the bites of fruit she gave Will, baby food was proving to be more of a challenge, at least when Kid was the one feeding him. Will didn't put up much of a fuss when Nami fed him. He might spit out foods he didn't like, but he still tried them. He wasn't so agreeable with Kid, and Nami was surprised Kid even tried anymore.

"Come on," Kid groaned, holding a spoon of pureed peas in front of Will's mouth.

Nami was in the kitchen with Mary, watching her husband's efforts while she cleaned the peanut butter and jelly off of Mary's face from lunch. They both snickered as they watched Will lean back in his high chair and turn his head away.

"You gotta eat, ya little shit," Kid growled, angling the spoon to chase after his son's pursed lips.

Nami rolled her eyes and went back to cleaning up her daughter. She grabbed Mary's hands and scrubbed the peanut butter from her fingers with a wet towel.

"You eat for your mother," Kid huffed. He gave up for a moment to glare at his son. "Don't even think about glaring back, damn it," he warned, a finger held up in front of their son's face. "I said don't." His eyes narrowed, and Nami wished she could see her son's face from that angle. He had so many of Kid's facial features and natural expressions, she had no doubt he was scowling just like his father. "Pain in the fucking ass," he grumbled under his breath when it appeared Will wasn't backing down.

With Mary cleaned up, Nami took her off the counter and set her on the floor.

"Go play in the living room, sweetie," she suggested. "I think your Papa needs help with Will."

"I don't need any help," Kid shouted, turning his glare to her. "I can feed my own son."

"Fine," she said, holding her hands up in surrender. "If you say so."

He growled at her, and turned back to the five-month-old who had taken to banging his hand on the table in front of him. She went to take a seat at the dining room table, despite his stubborn refusal of help, and watched him pick up the jar of peas to glower at. He spun the jar a few times, looked at the now babbling child, and then back at the jar.

She pursed her lips to hide her growing smile when Kid grabbed the spoon and shoved it in his own mouth.

He immediately cursed and spat out the spoon. "Oh fuck, that stuff tastes like shit," he barked, grabbing the towel he had on the high chair meant to clean up Will. He spat the peas out, and wiped off his tongue. "No wonder he doesn't want it."

She rolled her eyes. "Kid, you don't like peas, so of course you don't like it."

He spat into the towel again and grimaced when the taste lingered. "No, this shit's way worse than normal peas. I don't know what it tastes like, but definitely ain't peas."

"You're exaggerating. It's just bland." Nami sighed, and got up to take the spoon from him. She glared as he continued to spit and groan. "You're acting like a bigger baby that Will."

"Shove it," he growled.

With another roll of her eyes, she turned to smile at her son. "You just don't like it when Papa feeds you, huh?" she chirped, earning a grin and laugh from the boy. "But you'll eat the yummy peas for your Mama, won't you?" She spooned out some of the food and waved in front of Will's face. Her son smacked his lips and opened his mouth to the spoon, and she sent Kid a smug look before slipping the food into Will's mouth. "That's a good – Ah…"

The moment the food hit his tongue, Will shrieked and batted at the spoon, tears filling his eyes. He spat the peas out and began to wail, much to Nami's dismay.

"Ha! I told you they taste like shit!" Kid gloated, grinning as he sat back in the midst of chaos.

"You're not helping right now!" She smacked him on the side of the head and yanked the towel from him to clean their son. "Go make him a bottle. I have a bag of milk in the fridge."

Kid huffed as he got up to do as he was told, but she could hear his proud chuckles in the kitchen. She was too busy cleaning Will up and calming his tears to care. When he came back out a few minutes later, bottle in hand, she glared at him for the smirk he continued to wear.

"Don't look at me like that, Kitten." He held the bottle for her to rip from his hand and chuckled as she coaxed their upset son into drinking the milk to wash away the taste, and hopefully calm him completely. "Just admit I was right," Kid said, grin widening.

"You weren't right," she hissed while she wiped off the dribbles of peas on the table, and screwed the lid back on the jar. "This is your fault."

"How is this my fault?" he shouted.

She turned to glare again. "Your stupid show with spitting the peas out made him think they weren't going to taste good. You don't even like peas! Why would you try a baby food version that definitely won't taste better!?"

"It's not like I hate 'em that much! I didn't think they'd be _that_ disgusting!" He gestured toward the jar she held. "If you don't believe me, try 'em yourself."

"I'm not an idiot! I've tasted baby food before! I know it tastes terrible!"

"And you willingly feed my son that crap!?"

She rolled her eyes and threw her hands in the air. "What else am I supposed to feed him!?" she yelled before storming past him to find something else to feed Will. "He has to eat something!"

"Find a better brand or something, I don't know!" he shouted toward the kitchen as he fell back into his chair in front of Will. "Stop feeding my kid trash!"

"I am not feeding him trash! And he's my son, too!"

"It tastes like trash!"

"Ugh! You're seriously being an asshole right now!"

"Well you're the bitch who started it by blaming me!"

"That's because it is your fault!" she yelled while stomping back toward the dining room, a jar of pureed peaches in hand. "Move!" she ordered, waving him from the chair. "I'll feed him!"

"I can fucking feed him! Just don't give him crap for food!" he hollered back. He held his hand out, silently asking her to let him try again as they stared each other down.

He was just trying to help, to play a role in taking care of their son. That reminder cooled her temper, though she was still annoyed, and she handed over the jar and a new spoon.

"Fine," she bit out. She spun, intent on going to keep Mary company in the living room. "Just don't try them again."

Kid's hand shot out to grab hers before she could get away, and she found herself yanked back with a startled squeak. She fell into his lap, and blinked up at him as he wrapped an arm around her back.

"Kid, what are you – !?" He cut her off with a hard kiss, filled with lingering anger.

"You stay here," he ordered gruffly when he pulled back. "Just in case the little shit gets stubborn again."

It was the closest he would come to admitting that he might need help.

"You just want the excuse to hold me," she teased, adjusting herself to get comfortable on his lap.

Their anger abated with her movement, and Kid groaned as he reached around her to open the new jar of baby food. He perched his chin on her shoulder and turned to kiss her cheek, quietly making up for their argument.

"When the brats are down for a nap, I won't need the excuse, Kitten," he whispered, and gave her one more peck.

She hummed knowingly and nudged him with her elbow in response. As he attempted to feed their son for the second time that day, she mentally prepared herself for some much needed make-up sex later.

* * *

 _ **A/N:** It's no wonder Mary shouts a lot. She learned how to communicate from her parents by listening to them argue. Luckily, at this point in their relationship, fights fizzle very quickly._


	12. Chapter 12

_Prompt:_ _Imagine your OTP building a family of snow people with their kids and dressing the snow people in hand-me-downs._

 _Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or the characters, they belong to Eiichiro Oda._

* * *

 _A Father's Influence Isn't Always a Good Thing_

It was the first snowstorm since Will started walking, and Nami refused to miss out on the opportunity to bundle the boy up in three layers of clothing and watch him waddle through the seven inches of snow that piled up around their house. Kid grumbled the entire time he helped Mary dress. The girl was a ball of energy, making it difficult enough, but Kid wasn't as excited about the snow as she was.

He didn't like the cold.

The only reason Kid enjoyed the winter was that he could go snowboarding, the only activity he would endure the cold for. He liked the snow only because it was fun to play in, and if he had something to do that kept his body moving and mind off the cold temperatures, he always ended up having a good time.

And when they ventured back inside, he made sure to torment her with his cold hands and feet until he wrapped his frigid body around hers and insisted she help warm him up.

On the other hand, despite her similarities to her father, Mary loved the snow and seemed immune to the cold. Kid had barely finished tying her scarf around her neck before Mary took off for the back door, squealing at the top of her lungs.

"Oi! Brat, wait for me to get my coat on, damn it!" Kid hollered while their daughter struggled with the sliding glass door.

She groaned as she tried to pull the heavy door open, so determined to escape that she nearly fell backwards in her effort. Kid stomped over while slipping his coat on, growling curses under his breath. He unlocked the latch and yanked the door open for her. She took off like a rocket the moment she could squeeze through, and Kid sighed in defeat as she literally dove off the small porch into the snow with a loud scream.

Nami came up behind him, Will perched on her hip, and giggled at her husband's exhausted expression.

"Are you starting to feel bad about all the trouble you caused Killer when you were younger?" she asked, handing over his knit black hat.

He snatched the hat from her and shoved it on his head with a snarled, "Shut it."

She laughed at his temper and pushed him outside. "Just go play with your daughter."

Kid growled, but trudged out after the little girl. Glancing over his shoulder, he called back, "You got a camera?"

"I have my phone," she said as she shut the door and followed after him. "I promised Nojiko I would send her a video."

Mary's reaction to the snow the first time she saw it had been one of Nami's favorite experiences as a mother. She had shown the pictures of Mary hopping and laughing in the snow to everyone she knew. She had no doubt it would be the same with Will.

"I'll take it," Kid offered, gesturing for her to hand over her phone. She slipped it from her coat pocket and tossed it to him. "Set him down," he said as he crouched in the snow, camera at the ready. "Brat! Get over here and play with your brother!" he then hollered over his shoulder.

Mary screamed and raced over as fast as her little legs could take her through the drifts of snow she had wadded through. She held herself up until she got to Kid, and the proceeded to trip into his back. He braced himself with an extended hand, and shot his giggling daughter a half-hearted glare.

While he reached back to drag Mary into a playful headlock, Nami crouched down in the snow next to them. Will's head was turning back and forth, eyes wide at the few snowflakes still fluttering down around them. He looked extremely curious, almost in awe. A flake fell on his nose, and his brows furrowed together as he reached up with a mitten covered hand to touch the cold spot.

Every new experience in Will's life brought out hints of his developing personality. Where Mary was excitable and loud, Will was surprisingly calm. He was endlessly curious, too. Not to say that Mary wasn't; she liked to ask questions and be taught new things, but Will tended to investigate on his own. Granted, he couldn't talk yet, nothing more than babbled gibberish and a few syllables that were sounding more similar to words with each passing day.

In a way, Will reminded her of Kid's better qualities, or at least some of her favorite ones. Kid was loud and brash and easy to anger, but he was also a smart and curious man. He asked questions when he didn't understand something, and after he heard the explanation, he would sit there for a moment, thinking it over, and then make an astute comment taking the information into account, showing that he grasped it. That was with more general concepts, and about things that he didn't care enough to research himself. A quick explanation to fill in the gaps was all he needed in those moments. But with other things, such as mechanics and engineering, he didn't tend to ask questions, he always got in there and did the research himself.

She had actually begun falling for Kid when she found him in his workshop, tinkering away at an engine. He was covered in grease and sweat, his brows were knit in concentration, his lips were set in a hard scowl, and he didn't seem to notice her until she said something. He had spared her a quick glance, a few words in response, and then set his full attention back on his project. He was calmer than she had ever seen him as he tried to figure out what was wrong. He'd growl in frustration from time to time if he wasn't getting an answer, but he pressed on with another approach and soon he had the engine up and running while he wore a proud grin.

That had also been the night she first slept with him after celebrating with a lot of drinks at the bar.

That calm, quiet curiosity is what she was seeing in Will now. He even wore the same concentrated scowl as Nami set him down in the snow to let him awkwardly bend over and pat at the heavy, wet powder on the ground. Kid's attention had left Mary, though he held her tight to his chest, and Nami spied the subtlest smirk on his face as he held her phone up to capture the moment for her.

"Let him go," Kid suggested. "See what he does."

Nami reluctantly slipped her hands from Will's waist and they watched him fall to his knees without her support. She almost went to help him back up, but Kid's hand snapped out to hold her back, his gaze still glued to their son. He nudged Mary forward, silently telling her to help her brother, and Nami let herself relax.

Kid was being curious, too.

"Will," Mary called to her brother, going to stand a few steps to his side, "come here."

The little girl crouched and patted her knees as if calling a dog, but the gesture got Will's attention. He lifted one hand from the thick snow, and then the other, slowly crawling on his belly to his sister. When he was in reach, she grasped his hand and helped him to his feet, laughing when he wobbled and plopped down on his butt the moment she let go.

Nami scooted closer to Kid and pressed her head into his arm, grinning ecstatically. He chuckled and wrapped her up in his free arm before they went back to watching their kids play.

Even as Will sat on the cold ground, he wobbled, but Nami recognized as an excited movement. His head was angled in an attempt to stare at the snow beneath him over the heavy knit scarf she wrapped around him. He reached to pick it up, but the flakes fell apart in his tiny hand.

"Here," Mary said once she realized what he was doing, and scooped up some snow in both hands, patted it together, and held it out to Will. "It's snow," she chirped while Will reached out to touch again, slapping his hand on top of hers. They watched a slow grin form as the flakes fluttered up with each light hit. The grin turned into a shrieking laugh when Mary tossed the snow up in the air. Will's head fell back to watch the dust fall around him, his hands outstretched in an attempt to catch it, and then he fell back entirely with another laugh.

"Ah!" Mary exclaimed, jumping to her feet as Will squirmed on the ground. "Do this, Will," she ordered before extending her arms out. She flapped her arms once she got Will's attention, and grinned. "You'll make an angel in the snow." She kept flapping while Will made his own awkward attempts, appearing confused at his sister's actions. His first snow angel was sloppy, more like a blob, but watching Mary try to teach her brother something new was enough to make Nami cry… much to Kid's annoyance.

"Yer such a baby," he whispered when he caught her whimpering, a hand over her mouth to keep back are happy sobs.

"It's just so cute," she said, burrowing against Kid's chest when his arm tightened around her.

"Yeah," he agreed, shifting to sit down in the snow and pull her into his lap. "I guess it is." Once she was comfortable and facing the kids, he wrapped his arm around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. She felt him shiver against her back, and his hold tightened. "Even if it's fucking cold."

"And you call me a baby," she teased.

He turned his head and buried his freezing cold face against her neck. She screamed in surprise and struggled to escape, but he pulled his other arm around her, forgetting the video he was recording in the process, and refused to let her go.

"Warm me up, Nami," he chuckled.

"Later," she hissed, smacking the side of his head. "Stop screwing around. You're going to miss Will playing."

He groaned, but did as she said and lifted his head to see what the kids were up to. Mary had fallen back in the snow beside Will to make her own angel while her brother struggled to roll onto his side and watch. The boy laughed and then crawled through the snow until he reached his sister, and then pulled himself up to sit on her stomach and flail his arms like her. Mary sat up with a playful roar, shouting that she was a snow monster, and wrapped her laughing brother up in a hug.

"I'm gonna eat you!" she declared.

"I don't know how, but you helped me make some pretty cute kids," Nami said, giggling.

Kid growled at the teasing, and smacked a quick kiss to her cheek. "I can be damn cute, and you know it." He gave her another kiss. "But, it's mostly you."

She pushed herself from his hold with a laugh. "You have your moments," she agreed as she went to her children. "Now go back to recording this," she ordered. "Mary! Let's teach Will how to make snowmen."

"Yeah!" Mary shouted, and released Will so she could dash to a cleaner patch of snow to work with.

They spent twenty minutes making a snowman family. Mary insisted on a huge one for the snow-papa, as she dubbed him, and needed Kid's help for it. The two then made a smaller one for Nami that Kid attempted to give very large breasts until Nami kicked him in the back of the knee, making him fall into the snowwoman and destroy it. His next attempt was more reasonable.

While they worked on the parents, Nami showed Will how to make two little children. Her son was more interested in eating the snow than making snow people, but they eventually made two clumpy kids to sit at the base of their parents. Once they were done, Mary decided they needed clothes, and Kid ventured inside to gather a few old things from storage.

He came back with one of her bikini tops held over head, a victorious grin on his face, and Nami sighed in defeat.

Kid and Mary decorated the snowmen while Nami held Will. It was getting cold, and while he didn't seem fazed by the temperatures, she wanted to make sure he stayed warm.

Kid's snowman ended up with some old ski goggles perched on his head and he cut two lines over his left eye for his scars, and an old black vest pinned to the torso with two stick arms. Nami's wore her old bikini top and a plastic tiara that Mary insisted on – Nami's personal favorite. Mary's snow child wore an old robot shirt that was too heavily stained and torn to be passed to Will, and then the littlest snow child was given another one of her old shirts, complete with an awkward looking lion, that was too small for Will to wear.

She took plenty of pictures to torment her friends with once they were done, and then stood back with Kid to appraise their work.

"Almost as good as the real thing," Kid said. "Though you should have let me give her bigger boobs. You're more stacked than that."

"Pervert," she hissed while smacking his shoulder.

His grin told her that he was prepared to say something worse, but his voice was lost by the snowball that hit him in the crotch. He fell to his knees as Mary shrieked with joy, laughing at her father's misery, and Nami couldn't help but cover her mouth to muffle her own laughter. She should feel bad for him, she really should, but she didn't.

"Brat," he growled before another snowball smacked him in the face. "That's it. I'm gonna make you regret the day you were born."

With a large roar, he launched himself at his daughter who took off running, or attempted to. She tripped before she got too far, and was tackled by Kid in a light hold.

"We should help your sister," Nami whispered to Will.

The boy's head tilted toward her, confused for a moment, but then he gurgled a happy smile and waved his arms toward the other two. She took him over to them while Mary flung snow at her father's face. Kid pretended to be hurt, and flopped onto his back to be tackled by Mary.

As Mary bounced on Kid's chest, Nami set Will in the snow by Kid's head and let him crawl over to playfully smack at Kid's face.

"Oi! Don't let them gang up on me!" Kid yelled, his anger belied by the laughter in his voice. His shout was more genuine when Mary managed to get snow inside Kid's jacket. "That's fucking cold!"

"Fuh-" Will said, and Nami's attention snapped to him. "Fuh- Fuh-"

"Oh no," she said, realizing he was only one syllable from echoing his father's favorite word. "Please don't let that be his first word."

"What? He's just saying 'Fuh'." Kid grunted while grabbing Mary and holding her above him.

Will grabbed at his face as he tried to climb onto Kid's shoulder. "Fuh!" he shouted happily. "Fuh! Fuh!"

"See? It's just a fucking sound."

"Fuh!" Will laughed, smacking his hand on Kid's face.

"Fucking hell, stop hitting me," Kid growled, angling his head away.

"Fuh!" Will shouted while Nami pinched the bridge of her nose. He was making it worse.

"He's trying to say fuck, Papa," Mary said as she squirmed above Kid.

"Oi! You're not allowed to say that!" Kid shouted up at her.

"Fuh! Fuh!" Will yelled while Mary laughed.

"Oi, you little shit, stop trying to repeat it!" Kid lectured their son.

"Fuh!" Will shouted.

Nami slumped in defeat. Her son's first word was going to be fuck. She knew it. There was no escaping that inevitability.

With a heavy sigh, she scooped Will off the ground, intent on escaping the terrible influence that was his father.

"Let's go make some hot chocolate, Will," she cooed. "Maybe I can get you to say cocoa inside of _that_ word."

"Fuh!" Will smiled.

"Fuck yeah, I want some hot cocoa," Kid grunted, jumping to his feet with Mary still in his arms. "And I'm tired of being in the fucking cold."

"You can have a bar of soap and sit on the deck for the rest of the night until you _stop_ teaching our children those words," she snapped.

"Aww, come on, Kitten. It's just a word," he whined, trailing after her.

"Papa's in trouble," Mary said, snickering in his arms.

"I am not in trouble!" he shouted.

"You are!" Mary yelled back.

"Am not!"

"Are to!"

"Am not!"

"Are to!"

"Will," Nami sighed, hugging her son as she was followed into the house by the bickering father and daughter, "please grow up to be the sane one of the family. _Please._ "

"Fuh!"

She felt her hopes and sanity dwindle with that one sound. She was doomed.

* * *

 _ **A/N:** Kid's children will all curse like sailors, whether Nami likes it or not._

 _And the great thing about this prompt is that I have some imagery in my head after watching video of my friend's daughter playing in the snow for the first time. Oh, and Will's about 9 - 10 mos at this stage, for anyone wondering._


	13. Chapter 13

_Prompt: Imagine your OTP comforting their child after their pet dies and making a little funeral for it._

 _I swear this chapter is actually really cute. At least it gets cute._

 _Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or the characters, they belong to Eiichiro Oda._

* * *

 _Pyre_

Nami knew they were going to get a pet eventually, it was only a matter of time before she and Kid broke down to their daughter's demands for one.

Nami personally loved animals, especially fluffy, cuddly ones. Kid liked them well enough, particularly dogs. He had a surprisingly big soft spot for dogs; mainly the breeds that were seen as vicious.

She felt he saw a kindred spirit in the oft misunderstood animals.

He also liked cats, which he blamed on her since she was the first kitten he ever got to call his. Despite the corny remark that had her rolling her eyes the first time he made it, he did actually get along strangely well with cats. It wasn't so much that he liked them and gravitated toward them. It was actually the opposite. For some reason, if he was in a home with a cat, no matter how unsociable the owner said they were, the cat never failed to come brush against Kid's leg and meow at him, a few would just collapse against his side and fall asleep there. Only one decided to use his leg as a scratching post, but it was a feral cat, so Nami felt it was an exception to the rule. It was like he was a cat magnet sometimes, and she couldn't tell if he liked it or hated it.

Probably depended on the cat following him around.

When Mary was about to turn five, she began to plead for a puppy in earnest. Years past, every time she saw a dog on the street, she would beg them for the whole day to get her one until she finally forgot and moved on to something else. For her fourth birthday, Kid had only given in enough to buy her a cheap, robotic dog. She loved it, but they knew that would only hold her back for so long.

The robotic dog, while in part meant to quell her demands, was also a way for them to gauge how responsible she would be with a pet.

The main reason Kid never got a dog, despite his preference for them, was because he knew they took a lot of work. He was willing to do it, but at the same time, he didn't want to worry about an animal when he and Nami traveled so much before the kids came along, not to mention their hectic lives with work. Nami often would be gone for a few weeks on a research trip, or working late hours on a project, and Kid's garage took up a lot of his time between work on the cars and the more tedious aspects of owning his own business. To bring a pet into either of their lives back then just wouldn't work out, and when Mary came along, whatever free time they could devote to caring for an animal was given to their daughter.

Now that Mary was older, though, they were both seriously considering a pet for her. They were wary about it, especially after seeing her literally drag her toy dog around on a string in a way that would have choked a real dog. But that was when she first got it, and since then, she's had time to learn how to care and treat a helpless life that would be dependent on her. She had shown a lot of care toward her little brother, even if at times she got carried away poking his chubby belly until he started wailing.

They still didn't think she was ready for a dog, though.

In the end, they got her two cute Redtail guppies at the pet store. They were cheap and had a short lifespan, and Nami thought the fish were the better option for starter pets. Mary had to learn how much responsibility it took to care for an animal while also facing the harsh lesson everyone had to endure at one point or another.

Pets didn't live forever.

For a whole year, Mary did her best to care for the fish that she named Tony and Stark after her favorite fictional character. She fed them every day, once in the morning and once at night. Every week she cleaned the tank's water with Kid's help. She saved up loose change and did extra chores to get little houses and decorations to go in the tank for her fish to enjoy. She would watch them swim and chase each other, giggling when one would swim to the surface if she held her finger there to greet her. She would talk to them at night, tell them all about the things she was learning in her half-day kindergarten and day care classes, or about the funny thing her brother or Papa or Mama did that day.

As the year wore on, and Nami knew they were getting close to the inevitable, she began to regret her decision of giving Mary the pets. Mary was already so attached to them. She would be heartbroken when they died. Nami silently hoped they would prove to have a longer lifespan. They were told they could live up to three years with proper care, but they were already around a half a year old when they bought them, based on the store's estimates, so that meant once they were past the one-year mark, it was only a matter of time.

Kid wasn't worried about it, grumbled at Nami every time he saw her standing in Mary's door with a sulky look as she watched her daughter play with her fish. He said their baby girl would be fine. She was like her mother and would endure when the day came.

She really wanted to believe him, but she also knew it would be painful at first.

Finally, not long after Mary's sixth birthday came and went, Nami and Kid were woken up by a scream near dawn. They hadn't even had a chance to get out of bed before their door burst open and Mary launched herself at her mother.

"Sweetie? What's wrong?" Nami asked, wrapping her sobbing daughter in her arms. Kid was still half asleep as he frowned at them.

"My fish…" she whimpered. "They're not swimming. I think they're sick."

 _Oh no_ , Nami thought and immediately shot a look to Kid.

With a heavy sigh, he pulled himself out of bed and trudged toward the hallway, yawning and scratching at his chest as he stumbled out.

"Papa's going to check," she said, pulling Mary into bed with her to comfort her. "It's okay, sweetie."

"I thought they might be hungry… I tried to feed them, but… but…"

"Shhh." Nami soothed her as she choked on a sob.

"Ma… Mama," Nami heard echo from the baby monitor, and she stifled an annoyed groan. Will was awake with all the commotion, and the toddler wouldn't stand to be ignored for long.

"Kid, can you get Will," she called out. She heard him groan loudly, stumble into a wall and curse. A minute later, he shuffled into the room with a dark frown, their son clinging around his neck.

"Yep, they're dead," he said bluntly, prompting Mary to scream again.

Nami shot him a dark glare as he settled into bed next to her, but he merely looked at her with a confused expression.

"I took care of them like you said, Mama," Mary wailed.

"I know, you did a really good job, Mary," Nami reassured, now glaring at her husband.

"Sissy," Will said as he detached himself from his father, waving toward his sister. "No crying."

If the situation were different, she might find that reaction to his sister's tears adorable, namely because he picked it up from his father. He was better at comforting, though, as he crawled over and wrapped his arms around his sister from behind, hugging her despite having no idea what was going on.

"It's okay, Mary," Nami continued to comfort as her daughter sobbed into her chest. Her son repeated her words, thinking to mimic his mother to ease his sister's sadness.

Nami sighed as she laid there holding her daughter, searching for a way to explain death to her. Kid said she was just like her, that she would endure, but Nami learned about death in a far worse way, in a situation she had no control over. She didn't have anyone there to explain what had happened to take her mother away. She didn't need anyone to explain it, not after witnessing her murder at the age of ten. There was no one there to comfort her, to say kind words to soothe her grief. All she could do was cry and scream for days, and then do everything she could to survive, and maybe save the people around her from meeting the same fate.

In the end, all she could do was embrace the little girl as tight as she could and cry with her.

She had forgotten about Kid, and her annoyance with him, until the bed shifted with his weight and he placed a firm hand on their daughter's head. Mary's sobs began to calm as he brushed his hand over her hair. Nami glanced at him, trying desperately to hold in her own tears by biting her lip. He wasn't even looking at her, though, his whole attention was on Mary while he wore a pensive frown.

"Things die," he finally said, completely without tact.

"Kid," Nami snapped, but he shot her a hard look.

"Let me finish," he said, and turned back to Mary who peeked out from Nami's chest to look at him. "It sucks. It hurts. But that's life." Mary whimpered, but Kid's hand came down to brush his thumb beneath her eye, wiping away her tears. "Some things get to be with us a lot longer, and others are only there for a moment. That's why ya gotta appreciate every second ya get with them, that's why ya gotta make the most of everything you do. That's what ya did with those fish. You took care of 'em like you were supposed to, made 'em happy, gave them a ton of love. Bet they were the happiest fucking fish in the world all the way to the end."

Mary's lip quivered as she silently continued to cry. Kid just kept brushing his thumb over her cheek, taking them away.

"You did real good, baby girl," he said. "They might not have been with us long, but ya made every second of it count and got lots of good memories with 'em."

"But… what happens… what happens to them when they die?" Mary asked with a sniffle, releasing Nami enough to rub her eye.

Kid groaned and moved to sit up straight in bed, opening his arms to invite her over. Nami once again had to bite her lip to keep from whimpering as her daughter actually left the comfort of her arms to go to her father. She practically fell against his chest as he wrapped her up in a hug. He was doing a far better job at comforting her, so Nami forced herself to scoot closer while Will took advantage of her empty arms and took the spot his sister had been. He still had no idea what was happening, but he was eagerly listening to Kid and watching Mary burrow her face against Kid's chest as he carefully thought out the answer to her question.

He hummed. "Well… what kind of fish were they?"

"Huh?" Mary looked up at him, face scrunched in the same confusion Nami felt.

"You knew 'em best, and what happens to them depends on what kind of fish they were. Were they good or bad? Did they fight a lot? What'd they do?"

"They were good," Mary answered firmly, sniffling back her tears. "But they'd kind of fight. It looked like they were having fun, though."

Kid hummed again and tilted his head back. "Fighters, huh?" He chuckled. "Guess I shouldn't be surprised… Well, if they were still good, then they'll go to a good place, and since they were fighters, there's no better place for them to go than Valhalla."

Nami actually snorted in amusement as she realized what he was doing, and pressed her face to his shoulder.

"Val… Val… Valhalla?" Mary repeated uncertainly, carefully trying out the foreign name.

"Yep," Kid said with a nod. "I know you've heard of Heaven and Hell, right?"

"Heaven's where good people go, and Hell is where bad people go," Mary answered.

"That's it, but there's lots more places to go when someone dies, depending on where yer from and what ya believe. Back when I was a snot-nosed brat like you, Uncle Killer told me lots of stories of this one group of people who believed in a place called Valhalla... Their actually your ancestors… Bunch of fierce warriors who would sail the seas, fight and pillage for plunder…"

"Like pirates?"

"Yep, just like pirates, 'cept they were called Vikings," he said with a grin. "They had their own kind of Heaven, that was kind of like a continuation of life, just a little bit better. And they had their own kind of Hell. But then they had Valhalla, which was a great hall in Asgard that belonged to Odin, the big God, where half the warriors that died in battle got to go and drink and eat and fight to be ready for the final battle of Ragnarok. They considered it the highest honor to be picked to sit in that great hall."

"And that's where Tony and Stark went?" Mary asked, blinking up at her father.

"Yep… or at least the fish equivalent of it," he said, chuckling. "And if that's the case, we gotta give 'em a good funeral to help carry them there."

Mary's head cocked to the side in confusion, but Kid wasn't deterred.

"The Vikings had all kinds of funerals from what Killer told me, most of the time they burned the dead," he explained. Mary whimpered, and Nami glowered at him. "Wait… It's cool, trust me," he said before the little girl could start crying. "So they had this one type of funeral to honor the really special fighters and royal-types. There were two things the Vikings were good at – fighting and boat building. They built some of the best ships. Without those ships, they wouldn't be able to set out to sea, they wouldn't get to fight their great battles, and they wouldn't get all that plunder they wanted. They had a lot of pride in those boats, so when a great chieftain or warrior died, they were placed on a boat built just for them, a boat that would sail them to Valhalla. They'd put all sorts of offerings and shit on it, then set it on fire, and push it out to sea to honor 'em."

"But… we don't have a boat for them… And the sea's far away," Mary said, once more whimpering, but Kid held up a finger to shush her.

"Don't have a boat? Tsh. That don't matter. What's yer Papa best at? Other than fightin'?" Kid asked.

Mary's brow scrunched for a moment, and then she sat up, beaming. "Building stuff!"

"Yer damn right," he said, ruffling her hair. "I can build those fish a damn nice boat for their funeral, and we don't need the sea. Those Viking boats were made to sail in the sea and up rivers, and we got a creek behind the house. It'll get those fish where they need to be."

"Really?" Mary asked, actually becoming excited with the prospect.

"Yep… And the best part is we get to light shit on fire and yer Mama can't yell at me for it." He looked at her with a huge grin that only grew when she rolled her eyes.

"Fine," she said with a long sigh. "We'll hold a Viking funeral."

Kid laughed and raised his arms with a victorious shout. Mary and Will followed his lead and jumped up on the bed with excited cheers. How could she say no? After seeing her little girl hurting so much, and watching her father actually take away the pain, there was no way she could go against them. And she had to admit, a funeral was a good idea.

"You guys want to help me build the boat?" Kid asked as he dragged himself out of bed again. He was wide awake now, despite the fact it wasn't even seven in the morning yet, and looking forward to this project he had given himself.

She giggled as the kids jumped around, shouting "Yeah!" at the top of their lungs.

"Then go get some clothes on," he ordered, helping them off the bed and giving both of them a quick ruffle of the hair.

While the kids ran off, Nami climbed out of bed to get ready as well. She couldn't hide her smile as she trailed after Kid to their walk-in closet. She was proud of him for comforting Mary so well, far better than she could, which left her both confused and elated at the same time. She found she couldn't be happier to be married to him.

"Hey now," he joked as she wrapped her arms around him from behind and pressed a kiss to his back, "no gettin' frisky with me. We got a funeral to plan."

"I know," she said as he turned around to face her. His brow rose as she stood on her toes and pulled him down for a gentle kiss. "But later…" She trailed off, into another kiss that Kid happily sank into with a pleased hum.

Before either of them could enjoy the affection further, they were interrupted by a loud wail. They broke away with tired groans.

"Ah fuck..." Kid growled, his head falling back. "The fish. I left 'em in her room."

Nami sighed. "I'll take care of it."

"Dry 'em and wrap 'em in newspaper," he said as he grabbed some shorts to slip in to. "And take some of the toys and shit out of their tank. We'll put 'em on the boat."

"Got it," she called back while heading off toward Mary's room.

"And call Killer," he shouted. "He can explain this shit better than me."

She snorted in amusement, but figured it wouldn't hurt. Kid did just fine without his best friend this time, but surely Killer could elaborate on the story Kid told Mary.

* * *

Late that afternoon, Kid had finished making a small wooden boat for the fish with the kids' help.

It had a flat bottom and was square in shape. Each corner had a post rising up and swirling at the top that he careful carved with the names of the fish, as well as the family name and what he dubbed their 'crest' – it was basically a skull and crossbones. In the middle of the plank-like deck of the boat was an altar with fish and waves etched into the wood. Kid was originally going to leave it plain, but Mary wanted to paint it, so Nami helped get the kids into old jackets to act as smocks while Kid laid out newspaper on the floor of his garage workshop and dug out whatever wood paint he could find.

The boat ended up with splotches of burgundy dabbed over the deck, while the outside of the boat was painted a green that ended up getting soaked into the wood to make it darker. While the paint dried, Nami helped Mary and Will find sticks at Kid's behest – kindling for the funeral pyre. When they returned to the garage, they found Kid had added more decoration to the ship – a fish-like skull hung from each end of the alter, and the sides of the boat held tiny, round shields painted a variety of colors.

Mary thought the Viking boat was the coolest thing ever, and proceeded to ask Kid to make her one for her room. He said it could be a project for them on another weekend as he picked over a few small touches of paint, trying to hide his proud smile by pretending to focus on his work.

Nami knew he loved his projects, even more so when the kids wanted to join in. She had no doubt he would put in twice the amount of work for Mary's ship than he did for the funeral boat.

Killer arrived just as Kid was placing the fish on the boat, and their children jumped up to greet him as soon as he walked into the garage.

"Uncle Killer!" Mary shouted as she raced toward the blond. Killer crouched down to catch her in a hug and lift her into his arms with ease. Will toddled over as quickly as he could after her and tackled the man's leg in a hug.

"I heard the news," Killer said, patting Mary's back as she clung around his neck. "My condolences."

"What does that mean?" Mary asked with a frown.

"It's what you say when someone is grieving for a lost loved one," he explained without missing a beat. Mary's lip began to quiver, and her uncle squeezed her tighter. "Your Papa told you about Valhalla, right?" Mary nodded, and Nami heard Killer snort as he glanced over to Kid where he sat at his workbench, arranging the small decorations from the fish tank on the deck of the boat. "Well, as far as your Papa's concerned, there's no place better to go than Valhalla. Heaven doesn't even hold a flame to it in his mind."

"Damn right it doesn't. Get to fight and drink until the end of days. Definitely no better place for a warrior to go," Kid said with a loud laugh. "Alright, the boat's ready to go."

Kid jumped up from his bench, grabbed a bottle of lighter fluid, and headed toward the backyard. Killer limped after him, Will still clinging to his leg until Nami bent down to grab him, and they followed Kid out to the back fence where the gate was locked and corded off to keep the kids from venturing out to the creek behind the house alone. Kid was just unlocking it and propping the wood fence open when they reached it.

"Oi, Killer, grab some rocks or something to keep the boat from floating too far," he ordered as he went to crouch down next to the water. There was a spot where the water pooled in a shallow basin, but the slow current lapped over the rocks enough to pull leaves and debris that floated there back into the creek.

"I thought we needed to send it out to sea?" Mary asked once Killer set her down and went to find some large stones.

"Too far out, and we don't want to accidentally set the forest on fire, so better to keep it close," Kid explained. "Anyway, these guys are fresh water fish, so all they need is the creek here."

Mary came over to lean against his bent leg while he finished arranging the kindling and covered the wrapped fish with a fallen leaf. Nami set Will down and took his hand to lead him closer, letting him splash and play in the shallow water in front of Kid. At least it was a warm and lovely day. It'd be even more depressing to hold a fish funeral in the rain.

Killer came back with two large stones and splashed out into the water to set them in place of the current, cutting it off to ensure the boat didn't escape the calmer pool. Once everything was in place, Kid began to spray the boat with the lighter fluid, just enough to see that it would catch fire.

"Will it float?" Mary asked, and Kid shot her a look.

"What the fuck kind of question is that? I built it. 'Course it'll fuckin' float," he grunted as he turned back to his task.

"Language, Kid," Nami reminded with a tired sigh. It was pointless, but she felt she had to say. At least for her daughter's benefit. Kid waved back at her dismissively, and she rolled her eyes.

"Alright," Kid said as he stepped into the shallow water with the boat, leaving Mary at the shore with Nami, "got anything ya want to say about 'em? Nice words? Goodbyes? That sort of shit."

Mary tilted her head back with a hum as Kid settled the boat in the water. Sure enough, it floated just fine, and Nami didn't miss the gloating smile he sent her way. She rolled her eyes again, even as she stifled a short laugh.

"Tony and Stark," Mary began, pulling them back to the reason they were there, "were the best fish ever. They were super fast, and tickled my fingers when I tried to catch them." Nami glowered at that information. She knew she wasn't supposed to mess with them too much. "And… I'm gonna miss 'em, but if they get to go someplace cool, then I guess that's okay." She frowned and looked up at Killer as he came to stand beside her. "Can I go where they're going someday?"

Killer hummed. "Well, Valhalla's for warriors… So maybe if you become a soldier you can. But Odin's Valkyries only take half of the warriors who die in battle. The other half go to the Goddess Freyja."

"Where do the people who aren't warriors go?" she asked as Kid slipped his lighter from his pocket.

Killer hummed again, crouching down beside her. "If we're following the Norse tradition, there's a place called Helheim that was the land of the dead, typically reserved for dishonorable deaths. Some stories also told of a holy mountain, or Helgafjell, and that was where those who lived honorable lives but did not die in battle could go. It's a good place." He placed his hand on her head and gave her a subtle smile. "But there are a lot of stories and myths and beliefs around the world to explain what happens when someone dies. No matter what, everything returns to the earth and lives on with it in some way."

"Enough yammering about that," Kid called out, "let's light this thing."

"Kid, be a little more sensitive," Nami lectured.

"What? She can ask Killer whatever she wants after this funeral, but my feet are gettin' soaked here," Kid yelled back.

Nami rolled her eyes with an exaggerated sigh. "Just get on with it, then."

He huffed, but turned to the funeral boat with his lighter. Nami knelt beside her daughter, Will perched on her lap, and drew the little girl to her side as they watched Kid hold the flickering flame to a piece of newspaper he kept hanging over the side to act as a fuse. He held a hand over the flame to keep it from blowing out with the afternoon breeze, and as soon as it hit the deck of the ship, it quickly caught fire. With the boat burning, Kid came back to shore and fell onto the ground at her other side, legs bent and arms propped on his knees as if it were a normal, casual day hanging out by the creek.

Mary began to sniffle after a minute of watching, and Nami attempted to soothe her by running her hand through her hair. She was left heartbroken when her daughter wriggled from her hold and went over to her father. Kid didn't say a word as he opened his arms and let her fall against his chest, the little girl burrowing into him. He merely sat there, a steady rock for Mary to cling to, and played with her hair. It was a gesture that always calmed Nami, and apparently it did the same for their daughter as her tears were held at bay.

Once again, Nami couldn't be prouder of how much he had grown into fatherhood.

Cuddling Will to her chest, Nami leaned silently against Kid's side. She felt him shift to look down at her, and she glanced up to let him see her smile before pressing a firm kiss to his shoulder. She caught his smirk as she went back to watching the pyre floating serenely in front of them.

Once the boat had sunk into the water, putting the last wisps of fire out, the rest of the night was spent with the kids sitting in the living room with Killer, asking him every question they had about everything they could think of. It was a good thing he was well practiced with Kid. He wasn't fazed in the least when the questions about the Vikings somehow moved to other ancient civilizations. Killer had always been interested in history, at least military and warrior history, so as long as they didn't ask about a concept he wasn't as familiar with, he was able to talk all night about whatever they wanted.

Anything more ancient, from forgotten times, was best kept for Robin to explain, though.

It was late by the time Killer left and they got the kids into bed. Mary sniffled when she noticed the missing fish tank, but clutching tight to a plush dog, she managed to doze off. Nami stood in the door watching Kid finish tucking her in, frowning in thought. She pushed away when her husband came over to shut the door a crack.

"See? Told ya our baby girl would be fine," Kid whispered.

Nami hummed, rolling her eyes even as a smile broke out.

"You were right," she said, caving in and giving him even more reason to wear his proud grin. She wound her arms around his neck, walking backwards through the hall to their room. "But I think that's only because you did a _really_ good job today."

"Oh?" His brow rose and hands slid around her waist. "Is that why you were tryin' to feel me up this morning?"

"Mhm," she hummed as she tugged him down for a quick kiss. "I think you have finally earned that number one dad award you've been wanting."

"'Bout damn time," he said, chuckling. "Do I get a trophy or somethin' for it?" he asked with a knowing smile.

"Hmm, no, but you get a lot of amazing sex with your wife," she answered, only making that smile widen.

"That's better than a trophy," he growled playfully as he bent down to grasp the back of her thighs and haul her up. He carried her the last few steps to the bedroom, stealing kisses along the way. "I better claim my prize now before you change your mind and take it away," he said once they were in the room, the door shut, and had dropped them into the bed.

He eagerly claimed her lips, devouring her with hungry kisses. She moaned as he settled between her legs, roughly pressing into her as a hand began to wander up her shirt. When he moved to her neck, biting and sucking, she gasped for air and arched into him.

"We should get a dog," she said without warning, but Kid didn't stop what he was doing, merely grunted to say he was listening. "Mary did…" She paused to gasp again when his hand found her breast and her eyes rolled back with a moan. "She did a good job taking care of the fish."

"Yeah," he grunted, lips burning down her neck and chest. "She did." He nipped her collarbone, and then slowed to angle his head up and stare at her thoughtfully. "But, like you've said, a dog's a lot of work and cost. Got food and toys to buy, vet bills, all that. Needs lots of attention, too."

"I'm taking fewer trips with work so I can be home with the kids more often," Nami reasoned. "And you've been cutting back hours, too. If you want to socialize the dog, you could probably even take it with you to work. It'd be a big hit with your customers."

"My guys might get distracted with it, though," he pointed out. "I don't need them sitting around pettin' a dog when there's cars to work on."

"You're their boss," she cooed as he hovered over her. "They'll work when you tell them to. As for the money, I can personally guarantee that we can afford it."

He chuckled. "Well, can't argue with you if you say that. You handle the books." Sighing, he leaned in to kiss her cheek. "If you think the brat's ready for a dog, then alright, we'll get one. I've always wanted a Pit… or maybe a Rottweiler."

"I was thinking we can go rescue a dog from the shelter," Nami suggested. She laughed at Kid's sulky frown while running her fingers through his hair. "Shelter dogs are cheaper than purebred, and they really need the home. Think about it. All those poor dogs stuck in tiny concrete cages. Unwanted. Maybe misunderstood. They just want a family to give them love and affection, people they can protect."

Kid let out an exaggerated groan and rolled his eyes as he sank down to bury his face against her neck, slumping in defeat over her. "Fine. Makin' me pity a damn mutt I haven't seen yet." Nami laughed at his annoyance, feigned as it was. She knew he would be sympathetic. He was little better than a poor, unwanted mutt tossed to the street when he was a kid, one who thrived once he found a pack of friends and a family to call his own. "We'll go to the shelter next weekend with the kids and pick one out."

She let out a quiet cheer and squeezed her arms around his neck in a hug. "The kids will be so excited when we tell them."

"We ain't sayin' shit 'til next Saturday," Kid growled. "I don't want to hear Mary rambling all week about it."

"Spoil-sport," Nami huffed.

Kid turned to smack a kiss to her cheek, and then her ear, and then down her neck. "Call it a surprise," he said, voice turning husky as he got their night back on track. "Now can I get my damn prize?"

"So impatient." Her next giggle became caught in her throat when he slammed his lips to hers.

She couldn't complain about his eagerness. He had definitely earned it.

* * *

When the next Saturday came, they piled the kids in the SUV, saying they were going to run a few errands and then take them to the park. Sure enough, Mary and Will babbled endlessly about the park, not suspecting their parents' intentions at all.

Kid stopped by the bank, and then the gas station. The children grew more and more eager for the park, especially as they got closer to it.

And then he drove right by it, and Mary let out a shriek to tell him he missed the turn, but Kid just growled back at her to shut up. Nami smacked him upside the head for the callousness. She knew he was just trying to keep their destination a secret, but he didn't have to be such an ass.

"We have one more place to stop first," Nami explained as she turned to smile back at her daughter. "Then we'll go to the park."

Mary sank into her seat with a deep pout, but Nami ignored it as she faced forward again. She glanced at her husband to see him looking in the rearview mirror, likely peeking at the little girl. His lips pursed, and he forced his eyes back to the road as he gripped the stirring wheel tight.

He really wanted to tell her already.

When they pulled up to the shelter, Mary peeked out the window with a furrowed brow. Her pout turned thoughtful as she saw the dog and cat drawn onto the sign, turned to look at Nami as Kid climbed out of the car, then back to the building as Kid came around to help her out. She finally settled on her father who broke at the question in her eyes.

"We're gettin' you a damn dog, alright," he grunted.

She immediately screamed and tackled her father with a hug.

"Thank yer mother, Brat. It was her idea," he huffed, plugging a finger in one ear in the hopes it would muffle her excited shrieking.

Nami came around to their side of the car, Will perched on her hip, and laughed as Mary released her father to wrap herself around Nami's legs.

"You took really good care of Tony and Stark. I think you're ready for the responsibility of a dog. But…" She held up a finger and shot her a look of warning. "This is a much bigger responsibility. You have to help feed it, train it, walk it, play with it, and keep it clean. And if the dog makes a mess, _you_ will clean it up. Your Papa and I will help, but it'll be your responsibility, too. Do you think you can handle it?"

"Yes. Yes-yes-yes-yes-yes," she said excitedly, jumping up and down in place with a huge grin.

With a laugh, she took her daughter's hand and steered her toward the shelter. Kid came to take Mary's other hand, playfully lifting the girl from the ground with a teasing growl. The move made Mary giggle as they swung her forward with each step until they were at the door. Nami knew Kid was just as excited as their daughter, and if Nami's research the night before worked out, he'll be doubly excited by the time they left.

They entered into the front lobby of the shelter to find one couple going over paperwork as they played with a cat sitting on the counter. Another family was in a private room with glass windows that let Nami see the dog they were meeting. A hallway led between that room and another, likely heading off toward the kennels. Another room was off to the side, the door open wide to show stacks of cages. Nami spied a few cats, one rubbing against the bars of its cage as a woman poked her fingers in to pet it.

"Can I help you?" A woman behind the counter asked, coming around to greet them with a smile.

"We're looking to adopt a dog," Nami said as Mary once again began to jump at her side and squeal. Kid grabbed her before she got too rambunctious, and held her tight against his legs, shushing her. "One that's good with a very hyper child," Nami added with a laugh.

"Alright, well we have a number of dogs that have been fostered with families and are great with children. You can tour the kennels first to see if one stands out, or I can pick out a few that might be good fits and have you meet them one at a time," she offered.

"Probably best to go one at a time," Kid grunted, still grappling with their squirming daughter. "This one's liable to scream if she's excited… And might try to con us into adoptin' all of 'em."

As if to prove him right, Mary pouted up at him and tugged at his cargo shorts pleadingly. Kid sneered at her, grabbed her by the back of the head, and pressed her face to his thigh to hide the look.

"See?" he said, gesturing to her.

The shelter employee laughed and waved toward the empty visiting room. "Go ahead and get comfortable while I pick the first one."

"Ah, one second," Nami interrupted, shoving Will at Kid to pull a piece of folded paper from her purse. Kid's brow rose as she went to the employee's side to keep him from seeing the paper, but she ignored it to lean in and whisper. "I was looking at some of them online last night. Can we see this one first?"

"What are ya up to, Kitten?" Kid asked as she handed the paper over to the woman. She merely smiled brightly in answer. His eyes narrowed, but she ignored it.

"Oh, yes, she might be a good fit," the employee said. "I'll bring her out."

"Thank you," Nami chirped.

As the employee headed toward the kennels, Nami pushed Kid toward the meeting room, her husband still suspicious.

"Yer up to somethin'," he grunted.

"Are you doubting me?" Nami asked. "It's a surprise. Trust me, you'll appreciate my research."

He grumbled, but didn't say more. He knew he could trust her.

"Okay guys," Nami said as she settled onto a wooden bench built along the wall, "remember to be nice and gentle with the dog. No loud sounds." She pointedly looked at Mary leaning against Kid who had taken a seat on the floor across from Nami. "You don't want to startle her." Mary nodded eagerly. "Let her adjust, sniff around, and then pet her nicely if she lets you. No tail pulling," she warned, pointing at Mary.

"No tail pulling! Promise!" Mary said, saluting her.

While they waited, Kid played with the children on the floor. He had Will doing a handstand in front of him, holding his feet to keep him steady, while Mary kept her arms wrapped around his neck, giggling as she gave her father raspberry kisses. A few minutes later, the door to the room opened, the employee slowly leading what Nami hoped was their new dog in.

Kid's eyes widened the second he saw her.

Nami had peeked over the adoptable dogs the shelter advertised online to see if there were any that she knew Kid would like. The moment she spotted the one-year old pitbull-boxer mix, she kept her fingers crossed as she pulled up the profile. Her foster family, much to Nami's excitement, said she was good with kids, friendly with strangers, though shy at first. She was already housebroken, one stress Nami hadn't been looking forward to should they have found a younger puppy. All her shots were taken care of, and she was spayed, meaning less up-front costs; another plus of adopting from a shelter.

"This is Lady," the employee introduced the dog timidly entering the room, her nose to the ground to sniff all the unfamiliar scents. According to the foster family, she hadn't been particularly responsive to the name, so they might be able to rename her if they wanted to.

Kid set Will on his feet, and nudged him toward Nami while Mary bounced next to him. Kid's eyes were glued to the dog, waiting for her to come further into the room. She was a pretty dog with a brown and black brindle coat and black muzzle, only a few splotches of white could be seen on her stomach and chest. She looked to be a healthy weight, not too lean or too stocky.

When she finally lifted her head to look around the room, her eyes landed on Kid, and Nami was not surprised by her reaction.

Lady's tail immediately began to wag, it was slow and uncertain as she took a few steps toward him. Nami bit her lip to restrain her giggles as the woman holding the lead let the dog go, allowing her to head straight to Kid as he slowly held out his hand for her to sniff. With a few quick sniffs, her tail began to wag harder and she licked the palm of his hand before nudging her muzzle against him.

Kid chuckled as he gave the dog a pat on the nose and then brushed his hand over her head as she came closer. The next minute, the dog was seated at his side, leaning against his chest while Kid kept his arm around her, scratching her chest and belly. Her husband wore a huge grin.

"Alright, you did good, Kitten," he said, chuckling as he looked up at her. She openly gloated at the praise.

"I wanna pet her," Mary said.

"Nicely," Kid reminded as he nodded toward the dog, inviting her to pet her.

Mary carefully came to crouch in front of the dog and mimicked what her father had done, holding out her hand for Lady to sniff. She giggled when she licked her hand, moved in closer to pet her head, and laughed when the dog squirmed against Kid, just as excited, and leaned in to lick Mary's face.

"She likes me!" Mary shrieked. "Will! Come pet her!" she called, waving for her brother who had been watching from between Nami's legs, his fingers shoved in his mouth as he swayed in place. He seemed to be more timid, still taking in what was happening, but at his sister's encouragement, he released Nami and unsteadily made his way over. "Be nice," Mary said as she took his hand to tug him closer.

"Oi, you too, Brat. Don't pull on your brother," Kid lectured, nudging her with his knee.

She sent him a pout, but ignored him otherwise, favoring the dog in front of them.

Mary helped hold Will's hand to the dog's nose. Their son shrieked a loud laugh when she licked him, and curled his fingers in as if trying to snatch her tongue. The noise didn't seem to bother the dog in the least, she happily lowered her head to let Will pat her. Within minutes, Lady was on her side on the floor, rolling to her back as she panted happily with the kids' attention. Nami had joined them, nestling at Kid's other side to watch after giving the dog a few scratches behind the ear.

"I think we have a winner," Kid said, leaning over to press a kiss to the top of her head. "You made that pretty damn easy."

"I know what will make my family happy. And I had the same thought as you about Mary trying to take home all the dogs she sees," she said, nudging his side. "We can probably rename her, too." She glanced up at the woman who had been silently standing by the door, watching them get to know the dog. "I saw she doesn't answer to her name very well."

The woman shook her head. "It's hit and miss. She was a stray we found on the streets, so she's only had a name for a few months to be called by."

Kid hummed as he went to pet the dog again. "Lady ain't bad. Might just need to get used to it."

"Oh!" Mary perked up, spinning to plant her hand on Kid's knee. "Like Lady Sif! We can call her Lady Sif!"

Kid snorted. "Just pickin' all the superhero names, huh? Bet it's all the Viking stories yer uncle told ya last weekend, too."

Mary nodded rapidly in answer.

"Well, Sif's a badass, so I like it," Kid mused before moving to ruffle Mary's hair with a cocky smirk. "My baby girl's got good taste in heroes."

"I'll get the paperwork ready," the employee said, turning toward the front lobby. "If one of you want to come with me, I can go over all the recommendations and licensing guidelines, too."

"I'll go," Nami volunteered as she jumped up from the floor.

As she walked by, she gave Mary a quick pat on the head, but was stopped as the little girl turned to clasp onto her leg. Glancing down, she was met with a bright smile.

"Thank you, Mama," she said.

As Nami's smile grew, Will came to mimic his sister's gesture. "You're welcome," she said, once again patting their heads before prying herself loose. Fortunately, there was a dog to distract them long enough to let her slip out of the room.

The whole time she was handling the paperwork, she kept stealing glances to her family. The kids looked happy, as did their father. Every so often she caught Kid looking at her, his smile soft and warm. She knew that smile better than she ever thought she would. It was a smile he only wore when he looked at her.

It was the smile he wore when he first said 'I love you.' When she said 'I do.' When she held Mary for the first time. When he held Will for the first time.

It was a smile filled with every ounce of the love and pride and sheer happiness that he felt with her.

It was hard to imagine that only eight years earlier they were barely friends. Snapping, growling, hissing at each other until they found their common ground, and gave in to their attraction. Back then, she never would have thought that life would lead them where it had. That they would be a family, growing with yet another new addition to bring home.

At least this one they planned for.

* * *

 _ **A/N:** This family is turning into the stereotypical, suburban 'American dream' family, lol. Two kids. A dog. A house. Not broke. It's so beautiful._

 _For those that don't follow my tumblr as closely, and therefore haven't seen some of my tags on things - I happened to headcanon that Kid and his crew are more loosely inspired by the Vikings (who Oda stated early on were his favorite 'pirates'). All the fur Kid wears, the ruthless drive for battle, the almost pagan-like decorations some of them wear and what few we saw on Kid's ship, and the death-metal/rock theme a lot of them sport fits with Black Metal being its own subculture in Norway for a time. Plus, Kid's a shipwright, and as I said in the story - the Vikings were known for their boat-building. And then there is Erik the Red, who was called 'the Red' because he had red hair (at least that is the likely attribute for it from what I've read)._

 _I personally headcanon that if Kid were from our world, he'd be Norwegian, and I'll admit it's out of a wholly personal bias. For a while I figured maybe Scotland or Ireland, maybe Germany or Croatia, but the more I got into writing for Kid and really thinking about this stuff, the more I picked up on the 'Viking-ish' attributes and decided he's Norwegian. It's a personal preference for me, though, because my father's side of the family is from Norway (literally my great-grandmother came here when she was a child with her family), and I grew up getting to hear stories about Norway and Vikings and all that sort of stuff. My grandfather used to say that I reminded him of his mother... just taller. (I was able to fit into one of her traditional dresses when I was in middle school. She had worn it as an adult. It was actually a little small for me, lol.) Anyway, I tend to feel more of a connection to Kid, and see some of the traits I had when I was younger in him, so headcanoning him as Norwegian just makes me feel that much more connected (PROBABLY WHY I'M WRITING SO MUCH SHIT FOR HIM NOW)._

 _Even if Kid wasn't Norse or inspired by the Vikings - you gotta admit, that man would have a shit ton of respect and admiration for them._

 _Anyway, Oda said Nami would be from Sweden in our world, so at least Kid saying the Vikings are their ancestors is still valid there. Interesting thing I learned while reading about Vikings recently - there's a sea goddess called_ _Rán who had nine daughters, each named after different ocean waves. And what does Nami's name mean in Japanese? Wave. Also, Freyja reminds me a lot of her, but I won't get into that. Just know that she has a chariot pulled by cats and some of the things she's associated with are beauty, gold, and sorcery (among many other things, including war and death obviously)._

 _Can you guys tell I like reading about this stuff? And this is all very board, general things. I haven't studied it in depth in far too long._

 _But enough rambling. There are only three chapters left to this story. Sad, but true. I got plenty more KidNami stuff in me, though._


	14. Chapter 14

_This is inspired by the prompt: Imagine your OTP has one or more young children. They go camping in their backyard, set up a tent, start a fire in the fire pit, roast hot dogs/marshmallows, tell ghost stories, and watch the stars together. Bonus: the kids go to sleep earlier, and your OTP sees a shooting star._

 _Admittedly, this is just an excuse to have Kid doing something 'romantic'._

 _Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or the characters, they belong to Eiichiro Oda._

* * *

 _How to Make a Grand Gesture When You're Eustass Kid_

Kid had been thinking. For days, _weeks_ , really. If Nami noticed his longer than usual moments of pensive silence, she hadn't said anything, though it was only a matter of time before she grew suspicious. He had never been any good at keeping secrets from her, especially good ones that he knew, _hoped_ , she would like.

He wanted to marry her. _Again_.

Mary had thrown a fit about it before Will was born, wanted to see her parents have a real wedding with the fancy dress and suit and party. He said they would, and he was a man of his word, but just over two years had passed since then and they never got around to it. Time and money were prioritized for the practical, for their family, for their home. Never for each other. Never for frivolous, unnecessary expenses, save the occasional gift he'd splurge on when he needed out of the proverbial dog house. And as much as he knew his wife could be a hopeless romantic – judging by her collection of romance novels – she was never inclined to spend a lot of money on one day, just to get the wedding she might have once dreamed of.

But the thought had been _bugging_ him. More and more it crept up on him, like a nagging itch at the back of his mind. Their family was growing up, reaching new stages, and he was _happy_. They had a dog, their daughter was looking forward to grade school, and their son was walking and talking when it only felt like yesterday that he'd been in shit-filled diapers, spitting up on them. Their house was a home, one he looked forward to stepping through the door of every night, no matter how loud the kids were screaming or how frantic a mess Nami was while trying to balance her work with two children.

He had a family that he never dreamed he would _want_ , and all because of her. He knew she had certainly never dreamed of it, herself, much less with a man like him. But she had it, and he never failed to see how happy she was with their life, and he shared that sentiment with his whole heart.

He wanted to keep seeing her like that. Radiating love and joy, wearing a bright smile every time she looked at him or the kids. It made him forget the shitty life he had as a child, and he knew it helped ease the memories of her own losses, too. They had come such a long way from the streets, from the gangs, and he wanted to make a promise that they would keep moving forward. Together.

He had turned into such a sap. He blamed old age. And her. He'd softened with his domesticated life, but he couldn't find it in him to care. When he first realized he loved her, he hated the feeling for a full five seconds before she left the sweetest little peck on his jaw, and he melted into the warmth she never failed to instill in him and forgot all about why he never wanted to love anyone like that. Now Kid didn't know what he would do if he lost her or the kids.

Probably go insane.

His wife liked gestures. He was never good at them, at least he didn't think he was, but he always made an effort. Nami was greedy, but she grew up poor and knew that love wasn't shown with gold and diamonds, no matter how much she loved her sparkly trinkets and jewelry. If a gesture came from the heart, was made out of genuine selfless love, then she would appreciate it. His love was far from selfless, in fact he was a selfish bastard who wanted her all for himself, he could certainly admit to that. But he loved her, nonetheless, and he would do anything for her to prove as much because he never wanted to lose her.

The day they picked out their new family member - the dog he had once wanted when he was a kid on the streets, wishing he could have a big, mean, tough dog like the one in the junkyards he broke into - he realized that he really needed to make a grand gesture to her. He knew she picked that dog for him, just as much as she picked it for their kids. She picked a breed that he had wanted, with a demeanor that would fit their family. She picked a stray, an abandoned, unwanted, unloved dog because that's what he had been before he found his friends, and then her. She tugged at his heart with the reason for going to the shelter that she knew he couldn't argue against. She knew him, knew what he would like, knew what would mean most to him.

Not many people knew him that well, but she showed that she did.

And just as she knew him, he knew her. He knew when Mary had demanded they get married again, Nami had genuinely liked the idea, no matter how grouchy he was about it. And he knew she hadn't liked it just because their friends would have to give them presents, or money, or that they could use it as an excuse to take a trip without the kids for the first time in far too long. He knew she didn't really care about the dress, even if he did catch her a few days later peeking at a bridal magazine in the grocery store.

Okay, she cared about the dress, but that was because she loved clothes.

No, what she loved most about the idea was the chance to renew their vows, to show the world they were still together, despite all the odds their own friends claimed were against them, to show their kids that they still loved each other, no matter how much they tended to bicker, and to show each other they were just as dedicated to seeing the other happy. In the end, he didn't think it was a terrible idea, either. If she wanted it, if it would make her happy, if it would make the kids happy, then he'd do it.

Because that would make him happy.

But Nami seemed to have forgotten all about the idea. Eight years ago, he might have taken advantage of that to get out of wearing a suit and dealing with the whole fuss of a ceremony. Then again, eight years ago, he wasn't hopelessly, disgustingly in love with her, so that point was moot.

He wanted to remind her, to show her he hadn't forgotten. He wanted to make a gesture, even if she would tease him for the rest of their lives over it. He wanted to do _something_. But he didn't know _what_.

He needed a plan, and no matter how hard he tried to think of one, he couldn't settle on anything. He tossed so many ideas aside that he didn't think were _right_. They were _too_ corny, _too_ sappy, _too_ elaborate, _too_ expensive. Simple was best. He could do simple. But was simple enough? He just didn't know.

When he proposed the first time, it hadn't really been planned since she had caught him off guard with her high strung emotions and tears. He hadn't meant to scare her and make her cry, that was the last thing he ever wanted to do, so he just thrust the damn ring at her and hoped it was enough because he didn't have the time to come up with a proper plan. This time he had a chance to really do it right, or at least in a more respectable way, the way they did in her favorite romantic comedies and novels.

He even read one of her damn novels in the hopes it would give him an idea.

It did, but not for a proposal. He never knew those books had so much sex in them.

He needed advice. He usually went to Killer for help with his wife, but this time he needed someone who really knew Nami, just as well as he did, and who wasn't afraid to tell him when one of his ideas was stupid.

He needed his daughter.

That summer Mary had taken up karate. Nami had taken her to meet her former gang boss' sworn brother, much to Kid's annoyance, as he held a karate class for some local kids in his district. Mary thought it was cool, and Jinbei, still riddled with guilt for his role in the shit Nami dealt with as a kid, offered to teach the girl for free. Nami thought it a great idea, and Kid, despite all the dark glares he leveled on Jinbei, grudgingly agreed.

Normally Nami dropped her off and picked her up, assuming she didn't stay for the whole class, but Kid decided to derail the usual plans and hoped Nami didn't think too much of it. He took off early from work, calling Nami to let her know he wanted to pick Mary up and see how her lessons were coming. His wife, to his endless luck, was busy with a screaming toddler in the worst throws of the terrible-twos while trying to get some work done at home, so she was more than grateful with his supposedly thoughtful offer. And fortunately the source of her blooming headache kept her from asking any questions on the matter as he let out an ear piercing scream that urged Kid to hang up before he went deaf.

She might chew him out for that later, but he was trying to do something that could keep him from being in any trouble for at least a month or two, so it was worth the risk.

Kid got to the studio space Jinbei held his classes in just in time to catch the last few minutes of the class. He hovered near the edge, ignoring the other parents who seemed to be eyeing him warily. They all knew Nami well, she was better at conversing with strangers and never failed to charm them, but none of them had the chance to meet him yet. They all relaxed when Hachi, a part time instructor and former member of Nami's old gang, waved at him with a beaming grin. He had been helping Mary with her punches, so when his attention was distracted, the little girl landed a solid hit on his stomach, sending Hachi to his knees with the wind knocked out of him.

Kid couldn't be any prouder and grinned wide to show it.

That was when Mary noticed he was there, and she forgot where she was as she jumped up and down, waving at him gleefully. He waved back, and then pointed to a scowling Jinbei who wasn't pleased with the interruption. The class was back on track after Mary let out a startled shriek and quickly retook her stance.

After fifteen minutes of watching his little girl kick ass, the class was over and Mary didn't waste a second to come after him. He crouched down, expecting her to tackle him like normal, and instead found himself the recipient of a kick that he suspected would be vicious once she was older.

Mary was still filled with energy, and he guessed she wanted to show off, so he let her kick his thigh and shoulder, pretending to fall at the strikes. He batted her hand away when it came dangerously close to hitting his jaw. Her mom had a deceptively strong upper cut. He wasn't about to find out if his daughter's punch was the same.

"I give," he grunted, blocking his head from another strike. "Mercy, Brat." She didn't listen and went to kick again, but this time he grabbed her ankle and used the hold to haul her off her feet. She dangled from his grip as he stood, grinning at her startled shrieks. "You're little better than a ferocious beast like that. Even your old man knows when to pull his punches." She tried to kick with her free leg, but he grabbed that ankle, too, and extended his arms out so he could grin at her. She hung upside with a cute little pout so like her mother's. Even crossed her arms in a pathetic show of defeat. "Ain't Jinbei taught you that you don't fight someone who doesn't want to fight?"

Her frown deepened.

"Nice punch ya leveled on Hachi," he complimented, wiping her pout away instantly. "Keep that up until you can kick his ass for real."

 _Ain't no one gonna hurt my baby girl like they did my wife_ , he thought to himself.

Mary snickered, wearing the bright grin that Nami swore she got from him but he felt was more fitting of her own. A look that beautiful couldn't come from him. He laughed as his daughter swung playfully in his hold until she could grab his forearms, like a swift little gymnast. She had her mother's agility, plus his height and reach. She was definitely going to kick ass when she got older.

"Where's Mama?" the six-year-old asked, squirming in an attempt to free her ankles from his iron tight grip.

"At home with your maniac little brother," he answered. "I got done early, so figured I'd see how you were doing in class."

She tilted her head back to grin cheekily.

"And," he grunted, "I need a favor."

Her smile relaxed and brow rose. She was definitely more of a mini version of his wife with that calculating look. She was going to weasel something out of him for this, but he expected as much.

"What is it?"

"You remember when you threw a fit about yer Mama and me not having a proper wedding?" he asked.

Mary's head cocked to the side in confusion.

"You drew a damn picture of her in a dress after screaming my ear off and covered it in so much glitter, we were vacuuming it out of the rug for days," he growled, but she only blinked. Of course she wouldn't remember. "Anyway, I promised you both that I'd marry her again after she had Will. Figure it's about time I did something about it."

Mary lit up as she realized what he was saying.

Swinging back and forth from his arms, she sang "Papa's gonna do something romantic" over and over.

"I ain't gonna do anything romantic, damn it," he huffed.

"Yes you are," she teased. "So why do you need my help?"

He growled and looked away from her knowing smile. "You know what your Mama likes."

"And you don't?"

He shrugged. "Don't want to fuck it up."

He glared when she giggled at him.

With another wiggle, she forced him to release her ankles while she held tight to his straightened arms. His brow cocked when she took a deep breath, swung her legs with a little 'Hup', and pushed up to hook her arms over his. Once she felt secure, she tested her hold and then spun to face him.

"Startin' to think you ought'a be in gymnastics, Brat," he mused as he watched her shakily push up on his arms as though they were parallel bars.

She didn't respond except to grin. "So, what do I get if I help you?"

 _Why the greedy little…_. He growled. "The knowledge you helped put a smile on your mother's face."

Mary hummed that devious hum Nami always made when she was plotting. "Kinda cheap, Papa."

"Tsh, even your Mama ain't this greedy," he grumbled.

"I want a pony," she decided with a firm nod.

Well that wasn't going to happen. He pulled his arms in to level her face with his, and sneered.

"How about this instead?" he said, pitching his voice so it was low and menacing. That always got Nami off her game, but Mary didn't seem particularly fazed. _Yet_. "Ya know that globe in yer Mama's office?" he asked and watched his daughter stiffen. "The one that mysteriously got broken off its stand last week?"

"Yeah," Mary said, her voice shaking and gaze wary.

"Who'd you say broke it, again?"

"Lady Sif," his daughter answered quietly.

He hummed. "See, funny thing there… Lady was in the garage with me…" He gave Mary a wolfish grin as her eyes widened. " _All day._ "

"No she wasn't," Mary squeaked.

"You doubting my memory?" He nudged her head with his. "It's a steel trap. You help me, I won't tell yer Mama your big secret."

"That's extortion," she hissed.

He let out a loud bark of laughter. "Nami's been teachin' ya big words again," he said. "And I don't want to hear that accusation from the likes of you. Tryin' ta get me to bribe ya with a damn pony."

She growled at him.

"Come on," he chuckled. "I know you want to help me pick out a pretty new ring for her and come up with a plan. It'll be fun. Like a secret mission, just for the two of us."

"You won't have Will help?" she asked, a tinge of jealousy in her sulking voice.

"And risk him spilling the beans? Nah. This is a job only you can help me with."

His daughter looked away with a blush. After trying to be all big and mighty with her manipulation schemes, she was too much like him in the end. A little blackmail, a stroke to her ego, and she falls with ease. If it had been Nami, she would have easily turned the blackmail back on him, or used any number of tricks she had up her sleeve to get her way.

He hoped Mary didn't pick _all_ of those tricks up, if only because Nami would be mad if he went to jail for murdering some chump.

"I'll take that to mean you're gonna help me think up something awesome," he said, bending down to set her on the floor. He gave her a gentle shove. "Go grab your shit and let's go shopping."

She ran off to grab her backpack still hanging by the cubbies on the wall. When she returned, she stared up at him with a determined glare, cheeks puffed and hands on her hips. His brow rose, silently telling her to say what she wanted.

She pointed at him. "You won't get me a pony, then you gotta be my pony. And that's final!"

His daughter was a bossy, spoiled little brat. Her glare hardened when he sneered.

"Fine, I'll be your damn pony." She grinned, but he held up a hand to cut off her excited shout. "Not until we get home, Brat. Ya ain't embarrassin' me in public."

He would still let her ride on his shoulders around the mall, but there was no way he was playing pony out of the house. He had an image to maintain, damn it.

* * *

It took nearly two hours to find a ring that Kid knew Nami would like. It would have been faster if his daughter hadn't been distracted by the toy store, and then the pet store, and then her favorite kid's clothing store. It was a miracle he didn't walk out of the mall with twenty bags of things his daughter absolutely didn't need. He bought her a new stuffed animal and a chew toy for Lady, but that was all he was willing to spoil her with.

She also got an ice cream cone since she did help pick out the ring… Once she realized buying Nami a whole case of gold and diamond rings was not in the budget.

She really needed to stop shopping with her mother.

"Buy her lots and lots of roses," Mary suggested as they pulled up to the house.

"No," he grunted.

"Why not?"

"I don't do roses," he huffed.

"Then get her tulips," she said with an exasperated tone so like her mother's. He bet she even rolled her eyes.

He glanced at her over his shoulder once they were in the driveway. "No," he said firmly. "I ain't doing flowers."

Yep, she rolled her eyes.

"Then take her out to dinner," Mary offered. "Uncle Sanji's place is her favorite."

"And let that asshole drool over her the entire time? No way," he snarled as he hopped out of the car, going to her side to help her out. "And ain't that unoriginal? I want something special, damn it. Not the same crap ya see in the movies."

Mary hummed as he lowered her to the ground, a finger to her lips. He reached in to grab the bags with her stuffed animal and the chew toy, as well as the receipt for the ring. It still needed to be sized. He was going to have to steal Nami's old ring for that, but he'd manage.

His daughter was still thinking as they headed into the house. Just inside the door, she gasped and grabbed him by the hand to tug him down.

"I know what you should do," she whispered over the sound of Will laughing in the living room. Kid saw a flash of red hair as his son began to clumsily run toward the front door, and crouched down so Mary could whisper the plan in his ear before Nami could accidentally overhear.

It wasn't half-bad, though he groaned at the cliché romanticism. But, he wouldn't have to dress in some suit for it, or buy her flowers, and Nami definitely wouldn't see it coming. Any plan that kept Nami in the dark was the best plan. She was suspicious enough by nature.

"What are you two plotting?" Nami asked with a light laugh as she followed Will out.

Kid grunted as he caught his son in a hug when he reached him, nodded at Mary, and stood with the boy perched at his side.

"Nothing," he said to Nami. Her brow rose. She was suspicious already. He tried to ignore her searching gaze, and tossed the bag with Mary's animal at his daughter. "Here, Brat. Don't forget this."

Mary squealed in joy and began to run off, but stopped just behind Nami. She pointed to the papers in Kid's hand, waving frantically for him to hide them. Her wild gestures caught Nami's eye, and she turned to look at her daughter, suspicions rising.

"Look what Papa got me!" Mary exclaimed, pulling out the stuffed tiger that was nearly as big as her brother.

With Nami's attention off him, Kid quickly set Will on the ground and stuffed the receipt in his back pocket.

"I was wondering what took you two so long to get home," Nami said, running a hand through the soft plush of the toy. "I see he was just spoiling you." She leaned down with a bright smile he didn't believe for a second. "What is he hiding, Mary?"

"Nothing," his daughter huffed.

"Then why did he buy you a new toy?" Nami asked, not backing down, even in the face of her daughter's glare.

"She was kickin' ass in karate today," Kid answered before the girl could come up with a feasible lie. She was a good actress, but she still needed to work on believable lies. His was believable, because it was true. He agreed to play pony to keep her silent on the surprise. The stuffed animal was just to get her to shut up in the mall. "Even punched Hachi in the stomach."

Nami glowered at his large grin. Either she wasn't happy that Hachi got punched, or she knew he was distracting her.

"It was his fault. He should'a been keepin' an eye on her, not waving at me," Kid grunted, arms crossed over his chest.

"Mhm," she hummed, lips pursed with disapproval. Or maybe suspicion. Her gaze was searching him again.

"Mary, go play with your brother," he ordered the girl. If he couldn't break Nami's suspicions with words, he had one surefire way to get her to stop thinking.

Well, maybe a fifty-fifty chance, but that was better odds than he was going to get if he kept talking.

Mary snickered, but did as he said, grabbing Will by the hand to drag him off to her room. Before Nami could protest, or say anything, he moved quick to grab her around the waist and haul her against him.

"Kid, what are you-" He cut her off with a hard kiss, ignoring her annoyed groan and the push of her hands on his chest. "I know you're up to something," she bit out when he came up for air. "You're not going to distract me."

He settled his lips at her ear and began to lick and nibble in earnest.

"Don't know what you're talking about," he whispered, holding back a grin when he felt a shiver pass through her. "Just want to kiss my beautiful wife."

He squeezed her tight when her body began to go limp and breathing grew swallow. He kissed along her jaw as he listened to her moan. He dug a hand in her hair as her body pressed closer to his. He knew his plan was a double edged sword, inescapable as his mind seemed to forget the reason he was seducing her. He didn't care at that point. By the time his lips slammed to hers, she seemed to have forgotten that he was trying to distract her, too.

He groaned when her hands smoothed down over his chest. His stomach tightened with lust as her touch dragged around his waist, her soft curves pressed sweetly to his hard frame, and even harder length. He wanted to toss her over his shoulder and drag her upstairs to bed.

But then he felt the faintest brush of her hand at his back pocket, and he remembered he had married a thieving succubus.

He yanked back and grabbed her hands to pull them away from the folded papers that would give away the surprise entirely. He grinned wolfishly, even as he panted for air, while she pouted at him.

"We can do that later," he said, voice low and hoarse with unsated need. This part was going to hurt him more than it was going to hurt her, but he wouldn't let her win. Not this time.

He held up the other bag in his hand with the knotted rope he had gotten for the dog. "I gotta give this to Lady. She in the back?"

Nami's frown deepened, prompting him to chuckle. He loved seeing her frustrated when she didn't get her way.

Tugging at a strand of her hair, he leaned down, grin widening. "And you got some Play-doh in your hair."

She squealed and grabbed the strand from his grasp. Her annoyance was turned onto the green splotch of dough caked and knotted into her hair. He used that opportunity to escape to the back yard, sparing her one last peck to the cheek on his way by.

Once outside, he let out a long breath that turned into a groan as he adjusted himself in a futile effort to ease the pressure. That had been close.

The next few weeks were going to be incredibly rough if he wanted to keep his plan a surprise.

* * *

The summer was nearly over, and Mary had come to Nami begging her to let them camp in the backyard one last time before she started school. Nami thought it was a great idea. They had only taken a few camping trips that summer, most with their friends so they ended up being too hectic for any genuine bonding time with her family. Kid agreed with a distracted grunt and wave as he watched a baseball game on TV.

They picked a Saturday two weeks before the school year began, and spent the afternoon setting up two tents near the trees toward the back. The kids had a smaller one of their own, while Kid dragged out a bigger one that he had owned since before they were dating. It was covered in patches and part of the frame broke once, Kid welding it back together, but they had a lot of fun memories from all their trips over the years.

While Kid grilled burgers and hot dogs for dinner, Nami and the kids set up lawn chairs, tossed a blanket on the ground for Lady, and dragged the ceramic fire pit that usually sat on the deck all the way to their campsite. They ate around the fire. Mary rambled about all the things she was looking forward to with grade school, while Will ended up giving nearly half of his dinner to the dog when he stopped paying attention to his plate; Lady took the chance to snatch a few cut up pieces of hot dog right off his fingertips.

Before the sun began to set, Kid somehow was roped into giving the children pony rides. He growled and complained the entire time, yet he still crawled around the backyard with their daughter on his back, kicking at his sides with a loud 'Giddy-up'. Nami found it strange how easily he agreed to the game, it wasn't one of his favorites, but she tried to ignore her suspicions as she gathered skewers and a bag of marshmallows from the kitchen.

Ever since he picked up their daughter from karate and came back two hours late, she was looking for any clue that would tell her what he was planning. She didn't know what he was hiding, but she knew there was something. She had no clue _how_ he was even keeping her in the dark. He almost always slipped up with his surprises at some point, but so far there was nothing.

Though, her ring had mysteriously gone missing when she was in the shower one night, but Kid hadn't given her any tell that he was behind that. And she still hadn't found it, much to her irritation. She hated to think that she actually lost it. She preferred the idea that he had snatched it for whatever he was plotting.

Once it was dark, they all circled around the fire pit to roast the marshmallows and make s'mores. It was a messy dessert, especially for poor Will who ended up with more chocolate on his cheeks and shirt than in his mouth. He still wore a wide grin as he licked his hands, even as Nami bemoaned getting those stains out of his clothes.

As they ate, Kid tried to tell a ghost story, but Nami shoved a hot marshmallow into his mouth before he could get into the scary parts. She ignored his muffled shouts of anger while trying to cool his mouth and swallow the marshmallow at the same time. When Mary asked about the ending of the story, Nami quickly made up a happier ending that didn't involve the murder of an entire family on a camping trip.

She wasn't about to have their night ruined with nightmares.

While Kid growled and snarled at her under his breath, Nami distracted the kids with the stars beginning to twinkle in the sky. She wished they were further away from the city lights, but it was just dark enough around their neighborhood that they could see a few of the major constellations.

Mary was at least able to pick out the Big Dipper and Orion's belt.

Will began to nod off in Nami's arms while Mary made up stories about the constellations, happily perched in Kid's lap. She knew she should probably tuck them into their tent, but Mary was awake enough, and she was cozy in her chair with the boy nuzzling into her chest. Kid had calmed down, too, his head hanging back as he seemed to be staring up at the stars, but she didn't miss the thoughtful glances he sent her way as Mary rambled on about how Gemini tried to steal Orion's belt and melt it in the Dipper. Her story turned into strange sound effects, and Nami became completely lost to the plot, but continued to nod and smile at the little girl.

For a fleeting second, as Will shifted in her arms with a sleepy groan, her attention drifted away from her daughter. She heard Kid clear his throat, and then Mary's story came to an abrupt end with a quiet _eep_.

"I'm tired, Mama," Mary said suddenly. Nami glanced over to see her let out an exaggerated yawn. "So tired," she repeated, this time with an over-the-top stretch, prompting Nami's brow to cock as she glanced at her husband. Kid cleared his throat and pointedly looked away. Mary took to nestling against Kid's chest as if intent on falling asleep in his arms, just as Will was asleep in her own.

"We should get them to bed," Kid suggested, still refusing to look at her.

He was definitely up to something. And he got Mary in on the scheme.

Nami hummed and shifted in her chair to get more comfortable, squeezing her son tight to her chest. "I don't know. I think it's fine like this."

Kid's lip curled in a silent growl, but she sent him a look that dared him to make his intentions any more obvious.

"Can we sleep with Lady in the tent?" Mary asked quietly. This time she sounded genuinely tired, and her eyes fluttered as though she would fall asleep at any second. She was getting better.

"I don't see a problem with that," Nami said, sighing. "But don't you want to cuddle with your Papa a little longer?"

Mary hummed, but didn't say anything.

"What are you two plotting?" Nami asked, glancing between the pair.

"Nothing," they said in unison.

"Let's just get the kids settled into the tent," Kid decided before she could argue further.

She frowned at him, but he only ignored her and stood with Mary to take her to her tent. With a sigh, she relented and tucked Will in next to his sister. It was a warm night, but Nami had it in her mind to take the toddler to his bed if it grew chilly. She had a feeling Kid wasn't in the mood to let either child sleep in the tent with them like they normally would when they went camping and the nights grew cold.

Once Lady was settled into the tent, happily stretched out between the kids, Nami came out to find Kid laying the blanket further out in the yard.

"What _are_ you up to?" she asked as she made her way over.

"Just want to spend some time alone with you," he grunted, giving her an indifferent shrug. "Got a problem with that?"

Her heart fluttered in her chest when he seemed unable to meet her gaze. He was acting strangely nervous, and was obviously attempting to do something romantic. It was a rare sight, so she decided it was best to drop her suspicions before he changed his mind.

"I think it's a great idea," she declared, grabbing two fresh bottles of beer and sauntering toward him. "Did you have anything in mind for us to do?"

She knew the question would help him relax. His shoulders eased and he gave her a wicked smirk as he took the bottle she stretched out to him.

"I might have a couple of things I want to do with you," he said lowly as he popped the cap from his beer. Before he took a drink, he leaned down to snatch a quick kiss and murmur against her lips. "But we got time for that later." He dropped down onto the blanket, and tugged her down to join him. "Just want to talk now."

"About what?" she asked, brow raised.

He took a long drink of his beer and shrugged. "Nothin' in particular. How's that research project at work comin'?"

She stifled a laugh at the mundane question. He was really trying to make it all seem like a normal night, just one where they happened to be sitting under the stars. But, adult conversation was rare with two children, so she would happily take even the most boring conversation about work over listening to a discussion about which color marker was best for coloring a princess' gown, or a story about what the boy down the street did to his brother's hair. And Kid had always been good at listening, or at least he was good when he wanted to be. Usually, if he bothered to ask a question, he was willing to listen to the answer, no matter how long and involved it might get when it was about her research.

After nearly an hour of talking about ocean weather patterns, sea currents, and the subtle changes happening on the region of the ocean floor she was trying to map, Nami had forgotten all of her suspicions surrounding Kid's intentions. She decided he did just want to give them a chance to have time alone to talk like they used to, so she didn't think he could have any ulterior motives at that point. He wouldn't have been patient enough to talk that long if he was after something in particular.

"How's the rebuild coming at the shop?" Nami asked once she had managed to run out of things to talk about with her work. They were stretched out over the blanket, a case-worth of empty beer bottles surrounding them in the yard, with her nestled at Kid's side using his shoulder and arm as a pillow. His hand had taken to lazily running through her hair as he stared up at the sky.

Kid grunted. "Good. Almost done. Did Usopp tell ya I'm bringin' him in to do the final paint?"

Nami shook her head, tilting it up to look at him. "I thought you had a paint guy?"

"I do, but the customer keeps changing his design ideas. Can't seem to settle on one 'cause he wants something really unique. Figure get a different eye on it, might make the guy happy."

"I'm sure Usopp will come up with something great for you," she nodded. "And you won't have to pay him."

Kid laughed. "You think?"

"I've run off on so many of his bills, I'm sure you can intimidate him into waving his fees," she said, giggling.

"That's my thieving witch," he teased. "Now I know why you never brought your bike to my shop until we had been dating for a year."

She smiled, remembering the first time she let Kid work on her motorcycle. "Well, Franky had helped build it. He had a vested interest in keeping it together, so it was easy to avoid him billing me." She snickered. "And I only brought it to you because he was out of town when it wasn't starting right."

"True," he hummed. "Still weaseled your way out of the bill."

She let out a mock gasp of offense. "I certainly did too pay you," she argued. His head rose to look down at her with a raised brow, and her expression melted into a saucy smile. "With my body, of course."

His lip curled in a growl that didn't come. "I was out a couple hundred in parts and labor 'cause of you."

"Are you saying that night on your desk wasn't worth it?" she asked, leaning up to leave a teasing peck to his jaw.

He turned his head to steal a kiss on the lips before she could pull away. His eyes took on a drowsy look as turned to face her, wrapping her up in his other arm. She knew he was far from tired, not with the way he was staring at her lips.

"Should have charged you interest," he mused.

She ran her hand over his cheek to pull him down for another kiss, mumbling against his lips. "I think you've gotten plenty of interest from me over the years."

He chuckled into the next kiss. "So I have," he mused when he pulled away, staring at her with that calm, relaxed smile he only wore for her. He didn't say anything more, appearing to sink into thought as he brushed back some of her hair. She was fine with the silence because with the way he was looking at her, all she wanted to do was lay there and kiss him for the rest of the night.

It seemed Kid had other plans, though.

Before she could lean in for another kiss, he rolled to his back, keeping her locked against his side with the arm beneath her. He stretched out as he brought his other arm behind his head and went back to staring at the stars. She caught the faintest glimmer of a cocky smile, but he pinched her waist to distract her from it.

"And I guess you've helped make me plenty of money over the years between your bookkeeping and referrals," he said. "So you probably made up for the financial losses that way."

She snorted. That was certainly true.

"I'm payin' your friend, though," he remarked. "Customer's agreed to a higher charge on the paint since I'm bringing in a bona fide artist type. And Usopp deserves the compensation. I won't skimp on paying any of my guys, and that includes him."

Nami sighed, feigning annoyance. "It's your business," she said, but she wasn't surprised with the decision. There were times he was more than happy to use her cunning to get bills reduced, or use their friends for free labor, but when it came to his garage and anyone employed under him, he never failed to see them get their just wages. He was surprisingly generous when he felt he should be. "I'm sure he'll be shocked and think the check is a fake."

"That's your fault," Kid joked. "All these years, not payin' him once. 'Course he'll think your husband won't pay him, either."

She pouted up at him. He grinned back.

"You know I ain't judgin' you," he said, chuckling. "But, this does remind me, I need you to come in a take another look at the books."

"Why?"

"We've been busy with lots of rebuilds and fabrication orders, and the guys have been doin' a good job keeping everything on schedule. Thought they deserve an extra bonus for all their work, just want to know what I can afford."

"Alright." She nodded. "I'll swing by next weekend to look them over."

He hummed, and then they sank into a soothing silence. His hand eased up and down her back and side, lulling her as they laid there. It was peaceful enough that she closed her eyes and nestled closer to Kid's side with a hand on his chest. She idly felt his other hand play over hers, fingers dancing over the joints until they settled on her naked ring finger.

"Are you sure you haven't seen it?" she asked quietly as he wrapped the finger up in his, rubbing it as if her ring was still there to toy with.

He merely grunted, and she glanced up at him to see him frowning at the stars.

"You've been staring up at the stars a lot tonight," she remarked.

"Lookin' for somethin'," he said, distracted.

"What?"

"Shooting star," he answered simply.

Her brow quirked up. "Why?"

He only gave her another noncommittal grunt as answer, too intent on his search to say more.

His silence was strange, but he appeared calm and patient as he continued to play with her hand. She didn't give any more thought to whatever he was up to, and sank into him, this time with her own gaze focused on the stars.

And then she giggled.

"This is surprisingly romantic," she pointed out.

He growled and wrapped his arm around her head to clamp a hand over her mouth. "Shut up. It ain't romantic. Just wanna see a shooting star."

She snickered beneath his hand, even as his grip tightened in warning. She had only begun to calm down when he stiffened and pointed up to the sky.

"There," he said, a grin lacing his voice. "Found one."

She glanced up but the streaking light was already gone.

"See it?" he asked. She shook her head, and he sighed in annoyance. "You gotta see it, too, damn it."

She snorted. He was definitely up to something.

A minute later they were lucky to catch another slender line of light dart across the sky. This time Nami spotted it easily, and Kid released her mouth as he grinned at her.

"You make a wish?" he asked, much to her amusement.

"Should I have?" she asked. He glared at her, and she let out a long sigh. "I wish for all the gold in the world."

His glare hardened. "That wasn't what you were supposed to wish for."

"You should know by now that's all I want," she said, laughing. "I can't think of anything else I might want." At his deeper frown, she leaned up to brush her lips to his. "I already have more than I ever thought I would," she whispered.

His frown turned thoughtful as he pushed up to brace himself on an arm, hovering over her while he took her hand in his and pointedly played with her bare ring finger again.

"There's gotta be something else ya want," he said, tugging her hand to his lips to nip the naked skin where her ring should be. "Come on, Nami, give me a wish I actually have a chance of making come true."

Her eyes widened as realization hit her. "You know where my ring is, you bastard!" she shouted, ripping her hand from his to smack his shoulder with. "You stole my ring."

"I borrowed it," he argued, snatching her hand back before she could hit him again. "And what do you care about that old cheap thing?"

"You gave me that ring," she huffed. "Why wouldn't I care about it?"

Kid smirked. "Means that much to you, huh?"

Nami growled at him. "How did you even steal it? I had it in the bathroom with me and I know you didn't come in."

"I sent Mary in," he answered, smile only widening. "Apparently you've been teaching her a lot more than a mother's supposed to."

She glared. "I want my ring back, Kid."

"You ain't gettin' it back," he said flatly.

"Why not? You said you borrowed it."

"Yeah, and when I took it to the jeweler's they gave me a good offer on it."

"You sold my ring!? Why the hell did you do that!?"

"Before I answer that, are ya gonna make yer fuckin' wish, or what?"

"Fine. I wish I had my ring back."

"No. Make a better wish."

"But that's the only wish I have right now. How much did they give you for it? Because you're paying me three times that for this whole stunt!"

"Just make a better fucking wish, damn it!" he growled. "This isn't how I planned this going."

She let out an exasperated sound. At the rate they were going, their argument was going to wake the kids.

"Alright, then I wish I knew what possessed you to take my ring and sell it," she said.

Kid growled. "That still ain't what you were supposed to wish," he grumbled under his breath, releasing her hand to dig in his pocket. "But fucking hell, if you're gonna be so stubborn about it… _Here_."

She blinked as he thrust his hand in front of her, all her irritation washing from her with a long rush of air at the sight of the stones glistening in the silver glow of the moon.

"I took yer ring so they could size this one, and the jeweler offered to buy the old one for a couple hundred," he huffed.

She could only lay there in shocked silence, a shaking hand carefully reaching out to take the new ring from his fingers. Her old engagement ring was nothing more than a simple gold band with a princess-cut solitaire diamond. The new one, it was far more than that.

Still speechless, she sat up to inspect the ring, angling it in the faint moonlight. Yellow gold wove together tightly until it met at three beautifully cut round, clear diamonds. She could only guess that the center diamond was a full carat in weight, and she forgot how to breath as she tried not to think of just how expensive the ring had to be.

It was far too gorgeous to care.

"I know it's still pretty simple. Mary wanted me to get a whole case of diamonds, but I might as well buy you a mansion with that kind of money," Kid was rambling next to her. "Her favorite was one with a million diamonds all over the band with some gaudy as fuck huge one in the center. If you were still a thief, you'd probably get it to cut glass and steal all the other rings for yourself," he joked. "But I like that one. Pretty without all the show, just like you."

Her attention snapped to him to see him setting up beside her, his gaze off toward the tents. She still couldn't speak, her jaw hanging wide open.

"And this one had a wedding band that matches it. They even had a men's band that kind of went with it that I almost got," he said, as his fingers went to spin the far more inexpensive titanium ring he wore.

She was still speechless, but she knew that Kid always wished he had a gold ring. Titanium was practical for work, and all they could afford at the time, but Kid loved gold as much as she did. She never imagined he would want one that would match up to hers, though.

"If you don't like it, I still got the receipt and I can take you to get a better one," he continued to ramble.

Finally, her shock began to wear off as she noticed how awkward and nervous he was acting, still refusing to meet her eye.

"You bought me a new ring," she stated, and he finally glanced sidelong at her.

He shrugged.

"Why?" she asked at a whisper.

He shrugged again, and looked down at his wedding band as he continued to fiddle with it.

"I want to marry you again," he muttered.

Her eyes went wide and jaw dropped once more.

"Mary doesn't even remember it, but I promised you both I'd give you the wedding you deserve, and I figure I ought'a start by giving you the ring you deserve," he explained, gesturing to the ring still carefully perched between her fingertips.

"You…" She paused to take in everything he was saying. Her chest tightened and stomach flipped. She felt her face warm with a blush, just as it would have if he had given her a proper marriage proposal eight years ago. "You want that wedding?"

Kid shrugged and looked down at the blanket beneath them, plucking at dirt that wasn't even there.

"If it'll make you happy," he grumbled.

Those words alone were enough to make her happy.

He shouted in surprise when she tackled him to the blanket, sprinkling kisses over his face just as she had when he asked her to marry him the first time. This time he was able to sink into the embrace and enjoy it, once he realized what she was doing. His arms wound around her, and he snatched her lips with his the second they were in reach, letting out an eager groan into the hungry kiss.

Before she knew it, he flipped them over and sat up, straddling her with a wicked grin. He plucked the ring from her grasp, and grabbed her left hand.

"So, I take it that's a yes?" he asked, the new ring hovering at the tip of her finger.

"Well, you technically didn't ask me anything," she said, giggling at the frown that crossed his face.

"Tsh. Picky woman," he muttered. "Will you marry me? _Again_."

She couldn't help it as she pretended to think about it, smiling at the impatient growl he loosed after a minute.

"Oi," he grunted in warning, his grip tight on her hand.

"Yes," she finally answered, grinning up at him. "I will definitely marry you. _Again_."

She didn't miss the excited sparkle in his eye as he slipped the new ring on and pulled her hand up to playfully nibble along her ring finger.

She giggled at his obvious happiness.

"I can't believe you planned something this romantic," she teased. "I thought you weren't a romantic?"

"This ain't romantic," he grunted.

"We're under the stars, Kid. You told me to make a wish on a shooting star so you could 'make it come true' by giving me a new ring to replace the one you had our daughter steal. You asked me to marry you again. How is this not romantic?"

"'Cause it ain't," he grumbled, glaring at her stifled laughter. "You want me to ruin this? I got plenty of disgusting comments I could make right now to do that."

"I'm sure you do," she snickered. "But you're not going to."

"Wanna bet?" he asked, brow arched and body sinking down onto hers.

"Trust me, even _you_ can't possibly ruin this moment," she said, arms wrapping around his neck to tug him closer.

"I can _try_ ," he teased lowly while pressing his lips to her jaw.

"But you won't," she whispered as she tilted her head back, inviting him to trail his kisses down her neck. "Because you want to keep me happy." A sigh turned into a quiet moan.

"I want to keep you horny," he muttered, earning a sharp tug to his hair. He chuckled at her ire, shifting to nestle between her legs. "What? I thought fucking beneath the stars was romantic?"

"Not when you refer to it as _fucking_ ," she groaned.

"Rutting?"

"Are you _really_ trying to ruin this?" she huffed as he chuckled above her.

"No, it just comes naturally," he joked, and then leaned down to her ear.

She shivered as his tongue traced over the shell, and then he whispered, "How about making love beneath the stars?" and she completely forgot how to breathe again.

When did her husband learn a smooth line like that?

"No complaint?" He chuckled, kissing over her rapid pulse. "Did I make you speechless again?" He laughed again when she sucked a breath into starved lungs. "Damn, I guess your romance novels are good for somethin'. I gotta read more of those to come up with lines that do that to you."

"You read my novels!?" she shrieked.

"Research," he grunted in answer, and then quickly slammed his lips to hers before she could question him on that subject again.

"Ewwww," rang out from the tents, shattering the moment. "Papa's giving Mama cooties!"

"Fucking hell, Brat!" Kid shouted, ripping away from her to snarl at the little girl cackling from the opening of her tent. "You're supposed to be sleeping!"

Nami couldn't help but laugh with her.

If Kid doesn't ruin the romantic mood, just leave it to his daughter to fix that fluke.

* * *

 _ **A/N:** Alternate title should be: 'Eustass Kid gets his romantic advice from a six-year old'. Or 'Eustass Kid plans a romantic proposal only to have his wife ruin it by not following his script.' Or 'Eustass Kid swears he never does anything romantic... while doing something disgustingly romantic.'_

 _Honestly, in my head, Kid was gonna be all smooth and suave in his proposal, but then as I was writing it, it seemed Nami didn't get the memo about Kid trying to be smooth af and tempers flared and the whole plan was ruined. Which is exactly how it should go because no matter how great Kid thinks his plan is going to be and imagines himself laying on some good (albeit cheesy) lines, he will inevitably fuck it up because he is not naturally romantic and smooth. He is an awkward man-child stuck in an adult body who somehow accidentally does something sweet every so often because he wants to keep what he has... or get out of trouble. And of course the moment he's teased for it, he will try to ruin it._

 _But okay, two more chapters left to this fic. The next one will be short. I'm sure you guys can guess what the last chapter will be, though._


	15. Chapter 15

_Wow, it's been a while since I wrote something for this. Ahaha. Oh, and this chapter has some adult content toward the middle because Kid has his own ideas of comforting Nami._

 _Loosely based on this prompt:_ _Imagine your OTP walking their child(ren) to their first day of school. Bonus: Person A is emotional while waving goodbye to the kid(s) so Person B engulfs them in a bear hug to cheer them up._

 _Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or the characters, they belong to Eiichiro Oda._

* * *

 _A New Stage_

"My baby girl is growing up," she said through a sniffle as she pulled the brush through Mary's hair. Her daughter groaned and whined, scowling when she snagged a knot. "I can't believe you're already in grade school," Nami continued, pausing to scratch her nose. She wouldn't cry. She was absolutely not going to cry. Her eyes watered as she began to brush again. "I swear it was only yesterday we brought you home from the hospital."

"Mama," Mary groaned. She spotted the six-year-old rolling her eyes in the mirror. "You said you weren't going to cry."

"I'm not crying," she snapped. "They're allergies."

Mary rolled her eyes again. "Papa! Mama's crying again!" she hollered out into the hall.

"God damn it, Nami, I told you to stop that," Kid yelled from Will's room. "There's nothing to be crying about!"

"I'm not crying! They're allergies," she lied.

"Bullshit!" Kid shouted back. His steps thundered through the hall until he appeared in the bathroom, Will perched in his arms, and scowled at her. It only deepened when she pouted at him. "She's gone to daycare, to kindergarten, you've left her with Luffy, for fuck's sake, and not once did you turn into a simpering mess. What the fuck are you crying about now!?"

She looked away with a huff and set back to work on Mary's hair. "You wouldn't understand, Kid."

She knew Kid rolled his eyes by the sound of his disgruntled sigh. "Whatever," he grunted and turned to storm off again. "Just hurry the fuck up, or she's gonna be late for the bus."

"Language, Kid," she snapped, well aware that it was useless to correct him. She was still determined to try. Especially after Will started repeating everything his father said. She used her ire to collect her emotions and focused on getting Mary ready. "How do you want to wear your hair?"

"Hmmm, pigtails," Mary said with a decisive nod.

"The boys will pull 'em," Kid called from down the hall.

"I'll just beat them up," Mary called back.

Kid cackled while Nami scowled at her daughter's reflection. She had a really bad feeling they were going to get called into school. All through kindergarten and daycare, Mary was fine. A few scuffles, but no big fights. Ever since she started karate, though, she was starting to become arrogant about her strength. Nami blamed Kid for that.

"How about something else?" Nami asked, pulling back her daughter's hair. She wanted to at least go one day before the school called them. Just one. "How about a ponytail? We can put a cute little bow in there…"

She trailed off when Mary scowled and crossed her arms with a stubborn huff. Nami sighed in defeat.

"Alright, no ponytail. How about a braid?" She was met with a deeper scowl. "Maybe just wear it down?" This time she received a glare. "I can put little braids in it. Make you look like a princess." Mary shook her head stubbornly. Nami sighed again and glanced down at the open drawer of hair ties and barrettes and clips. Her eyes landed on a slender headband, and an idea came to her. "How about we do your hair like Papa's?" That got Mary curious as the little girl raised a brow and pouted thoughtfully. "Maybe not as spiky – your hair's a little too long for that – but we can tease it up a little and put a headband in. You'll look cute."

Mary hummed. When she made her decision, she grinned and gave her a nod. Nami immediately set to work. She finished just as Kid came back, their son dressed with his red hair spiked up into a short mohawk. Kid was surprisingly good at doing the children's hair when he wanted to.

"Now that's definitely my baby girl," Kid said when he noticed the headband. He gestured toward the drawer. "Have her wear that old one of mine, too. The one with the skulls. No one will mess with her when she's got that on."

Nami glowered at him. She was pretty sure her daughter would be teased for that, but Mary began to make a fuss about wearing it, too, so Nami relented and slipped on the second headband, complete with small white skulls.

"You look badass as ever, Brat," Kid appraised with a grin.

"Thank you, Papa," Mary chirped as Nami picked her up off the counter and set her back on the floor. She didn't want to let go of her, but forced herself to.

"We all ready to go then?" Kid asked, pointedly looking at Nami. "Or does someone need to cry some more?"

"Jackass," she hissed as she shoved by him, ushering Mary out. Kid merely chuckled behind her on the way downstairs.

"You're the big baby," he whispered teasingly.

She glared at him over her shoulder, but didn't rise to his bait. She wouldn't get into an argument with him about this. At least not yet. The ass could at least try to be sympathetic to her, but obviously he didn't understand just how hard it was for a mother to let go of her child.

They had decided that for Mary's first day of grade school, they would all walk with her to the bus stop. That was the big difference for Nami. She might be able to walk Mary to the bus every day, but she was getting older, and soon enough she would be going on her own. And then before she knew it, Will would be walking to school with his sister, and her house would be one step closer to being empty. Her children wouldn't need either of them anymore, and as much as she welcomed the break, she still felt anxious with every day that time drew near.

But she could do this. She would let go of her baby girl, let her go off into the world by herself, out of her control. She would not cry anymore.

She sniffled again when they were a block from the bus stop, her hand squeezing Mary's as they walked side by side. She heard Kid hiss behind her in annoyance, and was about to pout at him before she felt him squeeze her shoulder. It wasn't much, but he was at least making an effort to comfort her. She relaxed with his touch, and he pulled away after one more squeeze.

Once the pick-up spot was in sight, a few parents and older siblings waiting with other kids that would likely be in Mary's class, Nami stopped and knelt in front of her daughter.

"I expect you to be on your best behavior, Mary," she said sternly. "No fighting."

"But what if they pick on me?" Mary asked.

"Then it's alright," Kid said. Nami scowled up at him. "What? She's gotta make sure any punk-ass kids in her class respect her."

Nami glared, and then turned back to her daughter. "No fighting," she repeated, pointing a finger in warning. Mary pouted, but relented with a nod.

She was definitely going to get in a fight.

But, with Mary's agreement, as thin as it was, Nami relaxed into a smile and pulled her daughter into a crushing hug.

"My baby girl," she whispered.

"You're gonna strangle her," Kid said flatly, and Nami forced herself to release the little girl.

"Say goodbye to your father and baby brother," Nami said, her voice thick with emotion. She blinked back her tears, though. She wouldn't cry. She would see her daughter again in a few hours. She still had twelve more years before she sent her off to college. That was plenty of time.

She sniffled again.

Kid scowled at her, but didn't say anything as he crouched down in front of Mary. He had Will perched on his shoulders, and bent over to let Mary give her brother a kiss on the cheek before Kid blew a raspberry kiss against hers. It elicited shrieks of laughter from both children, and Nami managed another smile.

"Oh, bus is here," Kid said, waving off toward the corner where a yellow school bus was waiting. "Better get going and show all those brats how smart ya are."

Mary grinned and turned away with a wave to run off for her bus. She was so confident, so independent. She was already eager to run off and conquer the world.

Nami felt her eyes burn.

"Big baby," Kid whispered in her ear as he stood straight.

She tried to glare, but her lip quivered and ruined the look. He sighed and moved to stand behind her, winding an arm around her waist to hold her against him while they watched Mary wait in line to get on her bus.

"You got nothing to worry about, Kitten. Our baby girl's tough as nails, and sharp as one, too. She'll be running that school before you know it," he whispered low in her ear. His arm squeezed her against him, and his hips pressed to hers suggestively. She jumped when he nipped her ear. "And just think, we'll have the house all to ourselves. We can have a little adult play time with our own toys."

"Kid," she hissed, her sadness washed away as she glared back at him. He grinned and rocked his hips into her again. "Really? Now?"

"Hey, it's trained to comfort you," he said, chuckling.

She groaned and turned to face him as soon as Mary climbed up the steps into the bus. She glowered up at Kid's grin and the suggestive waggle of his brows. She pointed to the toddler on his shoulders.

"I think you're forgetting something," she said.

Kid tilted his head back at the same time that Will leaned forward. The boys shared a scowl.

"Tsh, little shit still cockblocking me," he grumbled up at his son.

Will smacked his forehead. "Shit," he yelled.

"Oi! Stop repeating the bad words!" Kid reprimanded.

Nami rolled her eyes as her husband and son growled at each other. How was she still sane?

Kid huffed when Will ended the stand-off by smacking his forehead again. Kid turned to frown at Nami. "We both took the day off, Kitten. We can find a sitter for Will, and have a day for just the two of us."

She actually liked that idea. It was so rare for them to have time together, after all. Without the kids invading their space. "We can't find a sitter just like that, Kid," she argued.

"Yeah we can," he said, shrugging. "I'll call Killer."

"He's at work," she reminded.

"Fine, call Robin," he suggested.

"Work."

Kid hummed. "Franky?"

"Work."

"Luffy?"

"Not allowed near either of our children without adult supervision."

"Your sister?"

"Over an hour away."

He scowled in thought. She could see him mentally crossing out a number of the people they knew that normally babysat but were likely busy, and other people who couldn't be trusted with their children. No matter how good they might be with them.

"Trafalgar?"

"Now I know you're desperate," Nami said with a huff. "And even if he wasn't at work, there is no way he would watch our child. Maybe if he was just _my_ child, but the fact you spared some of the material means Law isn't going anywhere near him if he can avoid it."

Kid hissed. "Can't we just dump him at a bar? Isn't that what Luffy's family did to him?"

"Garp didn't dump him at a bar, he just wandered there on his own every day," she said, rolling her eyes. "Though… that's not a bad idea. Rayleigh's pretty good with kids."

"Then Rayleigh and Shakky it is," Kid decided, grinning.

They turned back toward their house, and Nami slipped her arm around Kid's. "While we're out, we can go dress and tux shopping for the wedding," she suggested.

Kid's good mood immediately faded. "Oi, I suggested this so we can stay home and have sex all day, not go shopping."

She pouted up at him. "But it'll make me feel a lot better if we can go shopping. Don't you want to make me happy?"

Kid hissed at her. "I hate when you do that."

"No you don't," she sang. "I promise to make it worth your while."

"Tsh. You'd better," he grumbled, trailing off to curse about tuxedos and dresses under his breath. "The things I do for you."

* * *

Four hours later, they were parked in an alley behind the bridal shop, and Kid had nothing left to complain about. Not while Nami straddled his lap in the driver's seat, her skirt hiked up to her waist, with Kid thrusting up into her.

Kid had not enjoyed shopping for a tuxedo, but he did enjoy hearing Nami coo over every one he tried on that she approved of. He always preened when she called him handsome. He was bored out of his mind while she browsed through dresses, but when she tried them on, she noticed Kid perk up to take interest in a couple of them. Apparently he started feeling something seeing her dressed up for him, and that something led to them finding a quiet spot to screw around in the car like they had when they were younger.

Unfortunately, unlike those earlier years, they had responsibilities that prevented them from enjoying the quickie, no matter how much Kid wanted her to ignore the cell phone ringing in her purse.

"It might be the school," she gasped, stilling herself as she tried to lean over to snatch her purse off the floor. She shrieked when Kid held her in place and continued to thrust, his lips wrapped tight around her nipple. He hit a spot that made her moan. She really didn't want to stop. "Just… let me check it…" she breathed out, but then her cell stopped ringing and Kid rubbed his thumb over her clit, and she forgot all about the phone call as she slammed her lips to his.

And then his phone rang.

"Damn it," he groaned, as she shoved away from him. His seat was back as far as it could go, and he laid there beneath her, glowering at the interruption, while she snatched his phone out of the cup holder.

"Hello?" she answered. Kid sneakily rolled his hips into her, and she pressed a hand on his chest while she glared in warning. His grin dared her to stop him as he rolled his hips again.

"Hello, is this Mrs. Eustass?" the person calling asked.

"It is," Nami bit out, her tone more terse than she meant it to be as she continued to glare down at her husband. She smacked him when he rolled his hips again. Pervert.

"This is the secretary at your daughter's school," they went on, and Nami groaned in defeat.

"What did she do?"

"Mary had an altercation on the playground at lunch," they answered. "The vice principal would like you or her father to come in for a few minutes."

Nami groaned again. "We'll be there shortly."

She hung up without another word.

"What happened?" Kid grunted, trying to tug her back down while she tried to climb off of him.

"Mary got into a fight. They want to talk to us." She swatted at his hands where they gripped her hips. "Kid, stop it. We need to go."

"We won't be that long," he argued. "Couple more minutes. I ain't going to a fucking meeting with blue balls, woman."

She let out an exasperated sigh. There was no deterring him from finishing.

"Fine," she snapped. "Make it fast."

"Yes, ma'am," he chuckled before slamming up into her as hard and fast as he could, grinning as her ire turned into shrieks of pleasure.

Just as he promised, they were done in a matter of minutes, and on their way to Mary's school after they caught their breath and fixed their clothes. She still glared at Kid from the passenger seat the whole way there, but the smug bastard was too pleased about getting his way to care.

When they arrived at the school, they quickly made their way to the office where they found their daughter waiting outside, across from a little boy holding an ice pack to his chin. Mary looked completely fine.

"What happened?" Nami asked her daughter sternly.

"He was being mean," Mary said matter-of-factly. "So I hit him."

"You're not supposed to hit people just for being mean," Nami lectured.

"How was he being mean?" Kid asked, glaring at the boy who looked about ready to cry with the angry gaze on him.

"He was making fun of my shirt, and saying mean things about Mama," she huffed.

"This is your fault," Nami hissed, smacking Kid on the arm.

"How's it my fault?" he shouted.

"You're the one who was encouraging her to stand up for herself," she said.

"Yeah, but you and Nojiko got in plenty of fights with boys when you were her age, and she's heard all the stories. You ain't innocent here, either," Kid argued. He yelped when she smacked his arm harder. "Case in point, you're ready to beat me up right now. I ain't the one setting the example it's okay to hit other people here."

Her jaw dropped. He was right. And she wanted to hit him for that.

"He also threw a rock at me," Mary added casually, interrupting their argument. She stuck her tongue out at the boy across the hall. "But he missed. Loser."

"Wait, he threw a rock at you?" Kid growled, his glare seething with anger as he turned on the boy. The child finally started crying while Nami planted herself in front of Kid to hold him back.

"He missed. She's fine," Nami said, pushing against Kid's chest as he took a step toward the boy.

"That's beside the point. No one tries to hurt my baby girl."

"She isn't hurt. _He_ is. And you can't hit children." She ignored the fact she had hit plenty of children in the past. But that was when she was a problematic teenager dealing with a lot of issues. She knew better now.

"I ain't gonna hit him, but I'm gonna teach him the lesson his parents obviously didn't."

"Kid. Don't," she warned, shoving him again.

A throat cleared from the office door, and Kid snapped his head around to glare at the vice principal.

"You the one letting this shithead throw things at my baby girl?" he snarled.

The vice principal startled at the angry father.

"Where's this brat's father? I'm gonna have a talk with him about the failure of a man he's raising," Kid continued to shout. He was only making this worse.

"Kid, go wait in the car," she ordered. "I'll talk to the vice principal."

He snarled at her, but she glared back and he grudgingly backed off with an angry hiss. He pointed at the boy in warning.

"If I hear you've disrespected my girl again…" he trailed off, letting the threat hang unsaid in the air. Nami shoved him away from the sniffling and whimpering child, and shooed him out of the building.

Once he stormed out the front door, Nami turned to the vice principal with a drawn out sigh and bowed her head to apologize.

In the end, her daughter was given detention for a week and had to stay inside to help clean the cafeteria during the lunch time recess. She was also sent home early that day.

"My daughter is already a delinquent," Nami sighed as Kid drove them home. Her husband was still growling a number of curses under his breath, but she easily ignored him. "And it's all my fault."

"Hey, she was standing up for herself, and you. Most of those fights you got in were over your mom, weren't they?" Kid grunted, setting aside his anger for a moment. "Everyone knows you don't talk shit about someone's mother, not unless you want to get hit."

She glared at Kid. She should really argue that and tell Mary that what she did was wrong, but he was right, most of her fights were in defense of her mom. But even Bellemere tried to teach them that fighting was wrong… before she went to beat the crap out of the boys herself when she learned the reason for the fight. She still tried to set a good example.

Nami sighed and looked back at Mary. "Young lady, I told you no fights. You cannot go hitting other children just for teasing you."

"He threw a rock, Mama."

"Next time, tell a teacher and get him in trouble, not yourself," she reasoned.

"Yeah, plus you're obviously way stronger than that shrimp," Kid added. "Ain't worth it to get in trouble for punching a weakling. If you're gonna hit someone, make sure it's a tougher bully."

"Kid, you are not helping," Nami snapped. She set a hard stare on her daughter. "Don't listen to him. He was expelled from more schools than is feasibly possible."

"Tsh, it was only like seven schools," Kid said, waving her off.

"Try twelve," she corrected. "Killer can list all of them."

"You got expelled for fighting, too," he huffed.

"Once. I got expelled _once_."

"Whatever," he grunted. "But your mother's got a point. We ain't the best role models when it comes to fighting, but we were raised in a different world than you, we had to be extra tough. I don't want to see you getting angry over every little thing. You're better than that. At least try to show some restraint on the playground." Kid frowned. "At least a little bit. Still don't want you getting walked all over. And when you're older, you better not take any shit from anyone. 'Specially some punk ass boy. Seriously, what the fuck are his parents teaching him? Throwing a damn rock at a girl he doesn't even know? Tsh. Even I didn't do that shit."

Nami let Kid go back to his angry muttering as she turned to Mary.

"Hitting is wrong, Mary, and I know I have not been a great role model for that with how much I hit your father," she admitted.

"I don't mind it when ya hit me, though. But I got a bit a masochistic side." He grinned, and she sorely wanted to smack him. She balled her hand in a fist and restrained the urge. She was going to have to work on that.

"As I was saying, I'm not a perfect example, but I will do my best to control my temper if you agree to do the same," she said.

Mary frowned at her, but nodded.

"Good. And you're grounded for a week, young lady. No TV, no going out to play with the other kids in the neighborhood, and you will be doing extra chores for a month on top of it," Nami said.

"What? A whole month? No fair, Mama," Mary whined.

"Don't argue with your mother, Brat," Kid grunted. "She's right on this one. I don't care if you stand up for yourself, but you gotta deal with the consequences when they come. If you were our age, you'd be sitting in a jail cell right now, so be grateful you're only getting saddled with extra chores."

Mary huffed in the back, and sank into her seat to sulk the rest of the way home. Nami smiled at her husband, glad that he sided with her. He usually did, but this was a serious matter, even if he was subtly encouraging their daughter's behavior with the rest of what he said. He was at least willing to acknowledge that the behavior would come with punishment, even if they felt it was warranted.

When Kid noticed her smile, he grinned back and gave her a wink.

"You can still spank me, Kitten," he whispered. "You know I like it rough."

She rolled her eyes and once again squashed the urge to smack him.

Between the two of them, it was going to take a minor miracle to keep their kids out of jail.

She was raising a family of delinquents.

But she would continue to love them, no matter what came.

* * *

 _ **A/N:** Seriously, Nami is the physically abusive one in the family. Mary and Will have never seen Kid hit her, or really anyone, because he doesn't hit the people he likes (and he wouldn't be caught dead raising a hand to Nami in anger, ever). I think the only time they've seen Kid get physically violent with anyone is if he was play fighting with Killer, or maybe if Apoo was around, they would see him punch him. Nami, though, they have seen her hit all of her male friends. And as stated in the story, they've heard the stories of when she was a kid and got in fights with the neighborhood boys._

 _But yeah, Kid shouts a lot, and totally encourages his children to stand up for themselves, but Nami's the one who teaches them that hitting people out of anger is okay, even when she tells them not to. Their children are definitely going to be delinquents, and probably end up breaking Kid's record of twelve expulsions. Nami has a tough road ahead of her._

 _One more chapter left to this story! I'm sure you can all guess what it'll be about. :)_


	16. Chapter 16

_One year later, I finally decide to finish this fucking fic. Enjoy!_

 _Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or the characters, they belong to Eiichiro Oda._

* * *

 _'Til Death Do Them Part_

Nami couldn't contain her excitement as spring neared. She was getting married. _Again_. To the same man. It would be a real wedding this time. Not that their first wasn't as real. Their vows had been real, and the marriage certificate was legal and binding, but it didn't contain the pomp and circumstance most expected from a wedding.

Nami would have been content to have that wedding be her only one. She was married to a man she loved, with two beautiful children she could no longer imagine a life without. She had a house, a career, a family, a stable life she once never thought to have. The wedding wasn't the important part, it was only a celebration of the life they had managed to carve out together.

That didn't stop her from planning out an over the top event and buy the most gorgeous dress she would ever be fortunate enough to wear. She got it for a steal, too.

The dress she settled on - the one that made her realize that this wedding, the vow renewal, was actually happening - had taken her breath away when she saw it. She had to have it, and she would wheel and deal with the boutique until they brought it down to an affordable price.

Mary had wanted her to wear a dress that glittered and Nami found the perfect one. It had been a girls' day out for the sole purpose of finding her dress. Nojiko, Robin, and Vivi all joined her to sip at mimosas in the high end bridal store Nami found in a city just an hour away. Mary had come with them, decked out with a tiara and clipboard as she pretended to be the wedding planner, and sipped at a flute of orange juice. It had been a fun, relaxing day that Nami hoped would be a success.

She liked the dresses she had tried on when she went shopping with Kid, but most were plain or simple. She didn't fall in love with a single one, though they gave her plenty of ideas of the cut she wanted.

It had to be a mermaid or trumpet style. It had to be sleeveless, or with slender capped-sleeves. The bust had to be tight, form fitting, and modest, or dip low between her breasts to show off the hours of sweat and work she put into losing the baby weight from her last pregnancy. It had to have lace and crystals and pearls. It had to be eye-catching.

Mary found the dress she fell for, tucked on a rack in the back, labeled as defective because a few of the beads were loose. Nami didn't care about that. She and Nojiko could repair a few beads with ease when they altered it for her. The damage would bring the price down, too.

It was a mermaid dress, just as she wanted. Mary squealed excitedly when Nami told her the name of the cut and said she had to be a mermaid since the wedding would be on the coast, overlooking the sea she loved so much.

It was sleeveless, with a sweetheart bust that accentuated her curving figure.

White satin wrapped around her chest and hips beneath a thin chiffon sheath embroidered with gold thread and champagne crystals and fake mother-of-pearl beads. The sheath trailed over her hips and thighs, fanned out in the mermaid style train below her knees, its ivory colored bodice fading into a vibrant, transparent white with more crystals sprinkled around the edges of the skirt and train that Mary said reminded her of the glittering sand on the beach.

It was stunning and regal, and she had no doubt it would knock Kid off his feet when he saw her walk down the aisle wearing it. She had to have it.

She picked some sparkly gold heels, a golden tiara decorated with faux rubies and champagne diamonds, and a gold necklace that fell over her collar bone like twisting vines, sprinkled with brilliant red crystals.

They picked gold and burgundy for their colors, so she needed the jewels to match Kid's tux. She had asked a favor of Law and Cavendish to have them join Kid as he shopped. Her husband could be incredibly vain, but his fashion sense didn't match. He needed all the help he could get, and she didn't trust Killer in that regard.

Even Killer's fashion sense could be iffy. He wore jeans with tassels on them long after they fell out of fashion. He was better than Kid's mismatched patterns and colors, but she would rather have Law and Cavendish there to see that the suit was coordinated to her wedding colors.

When Kid argued the arrangement, she assured him that she just wanted him to look like a king on their big day. She had every intention of dressing like his queen, so it was only appropriate he dress to match. That image shut up him.

They sent her pictures of the final choices to get her approval. She made them pick a black tux with a burgundy vest and tie that had a vine-like pattern similar to her necklace. The off-white ivory shirt matched the ivory and gold of her dress. She also approved of a gold collar bar and chain to wear with his tie.

Pleased that her husband would look handsome for her, and that she would outshine everyone there, Nami couldn't wait for their vow renewal to come.

And then she got sick.

At first, she thought it was the stress of planning the ceremony and reception, coupled with maintaining her normal routine with work and family. It explained why she felt so tired. She thought to sleep it off, hopefully avoid coming down with a cold just before the wedding. But she continued to feel exhausted every day, until finally she was hit with some sort of stomach bug.

For two weeks, she couldn't even look at food without the urge the throw up, even though she never did more than dry heave over the toilet every morning. Then she would be starving, desperate for a huge meal that would put Luffy's appetite to shame.

She made a pot roast one night, with all the fixings. It smelled so delicious, her stomached growled loud enough for the whole family to hear. She could have eaten the whole roast by herself, she was so hungry; but then she took a bite, and she swore it didn't taste right. Kid insisted that it was delicious as he devoured every scrap on his plate. The kids chimed in with their agreements, even though Mary pushed away her carrots, and Will sniffed at a chunk of celery. She decided her plate needed something more and rifled through the fridge for some clue as to what was missing. She found a bottle of sriracha and decided that was what her roast needed.

She ignored Kid's bemused gaze as she squirted the sauce over her plate. When she took a bite, it was much better, actually had flavor, and she began to eat better than she had in days.

She only finished a quarter of her plate before her stomach rolled and indigestion reared its ugly head. She pushed her plate away with a disappointed groan, pouted at Kid as she rubbed her burning chest. If he was worried, he didn't say anything, just took her plate and finished her meal, despite the strange addition, while she went to search for an antacid.

With so much going on, she didn't think much of it, especially when the nausea eased up a few days before the wedding. She was certain it was just stress and exhaustion messing with her body.

She even blamed her late period on the wedding.

She couldn't believe how stupid she had been.

It was the day of the ceremony when she realized it wasn't just stress.

"Straighten your back," Nojiko ordered as she tugged at the bodice of Nami's dress, trying to get the pearl buttons to slip into place.

All the girls were in the bridal suite, drinking champagne, or sparkling cider in Mary's case, and nibbling on a fruit and cheese platter while they all prepared. Nami didn't touch a drop of the champagne, even though it was an expensive vintage that Vivi bought especially for that day. She recoiled at the thought of the bubbly drink when her stomach flipped with only a sniff. She held a fist to her mouth when she nearly heaved, and decided to stick with water and crackers to settle her anxious stomach.

That's all it was in her mind at that point. Butterflies in anticipation of the ceremony.

"I am," Nami snapped while she reached out for the platter of fruit. The sliced bananas looked delicious. "I wish we had some hazelnut spread," she moaned once she snagged a slice and popped it in her mouth. It wasn't the right flavor. Nothing was ever the right flavor.

"Hazelnut?" Robin asked as she flipped through a magazine while the stylist curled her hair.

"Yeah," Nami whined. "Something with flavor. Or maybe something spicy. I could go for a burrito right now."

Nojiko stilled behind her while Robin and Vivi shared a look.

"Nami?" Nojiko began. "Have you been eating more?"

"Hmm, I don't think so. Why?"

"Well… This dress fit you like a glove only a week ago…" Nojiko explained. "But I can't get it to close now."

Nami's eyes began to widen as her sister's remarks began to stir something inside her. She couldn't be suggesting? It wasn't possible… There was no way… It was only stress.

"You've been complaining of nausea today, too," Robin mused.

"For the past few weeks, I thought," Vivi added.

"You told me it was a stomach bug," Nojiko said as she let the back of Nami's dress fall open and came to stand in front of her, grasping her shoulders to keep Nami's stunned attention on her. "But the last time you craved hazelnut spread and spicy food at the same time…" She glanced down at Mary who was coloring on the floor, her red and gold flower girl dress fanned around her. "It was caramel covered oranges, black decaf coffee with a shot of hazelnut syrup, and the spiciest breakfast burrito you could find but never finish for the first trimester."

Of course she would memorize her cravings, Nojiko had been the one at her side for those first few weeks. She was the one who went out for the burritos and coffee while Nami spent her morning hugging the toilet, praying she would feel better. She was the one who kept the fridge stocked with oranges and juice, with plenty of Nutella, and even concocted the best caramel candied tangerine recipe that was literally the only thing that tasted right to her for months.

Nami clutched her stomach and gaped. "I… no… I can't…" She began to panic. This could not be happening. Not again. Not on her damn wedding day. "It's not possible…"

"If there is one thing we have come to know with certainty," Robin chimed in, "it's that you and Eustass are surprisingly fertile."

Nami screeched at the blunt remark, stammered for a denial. She couldn't be. It was not possible. She was on the pill. She hadn't been on any medications that could interfere with it. There was no _fucking_ way she was pregnant again.

Vivi leaped from her chair, curlers still in her hair. "I'll be back," she hollered while Nami sank to the floor, trying to catch her breath.

Nojiko wrapped her up in her arms and gently patted her hair while trying to soothe her.

"I could really go for your caramel tangerines right about now," Nami whispered to her.

Nojiko snorted in amusement. "If this test turns out how I suspect it will, then I'll hijack the kitchen here and start whipping up a batch for you after the ceremony."

She sank into her sister with a quiet whimper and waited for Vivi to return with a pregnancy test.

How the hell was she supposed to get through this ceremony now?

There was no way she would be able to look Kid in the eye without breaking down.

This was not how her wedding was supposed to go.

* * *

Nervous energy filled his veins as he waited for her to come out. He fidgeted at the end of the aisle, played with his tie until Killer smacked him to make him stop. Brook, their officiant for the ceremony this time, chuckled at the exchange and made a quip about the soul of a man in love. Kid glared, but smothered the urge to punch him. He was a fan of the old man's music, and he was Nami's friend. Not to mention the trouble he would be in if he punched the man who was overseeing the ceremony.

He was anxious and impatient. He wanted to get the ceremony over with. And he wanted to see his fucking wife after he was denied an opportunity to see her all day.

He scoffed at her insistence that they follow tradition and not see each other until Genzo escorted her down the aisle. They were already fucking married, there was no point to that superstition for them. He thought to sneak into the bridal suite for a quick kiss and hopefully a compliment on his suit, but Genzo stood sentinel in the hall, and Kid wasn't dumb enough to pick a fight with him that day. He went back to his suite and tried to relax with his groomsmen, but spent the whole time pacing until the coordinator came in to tell him that Nami needed more time and that he would have to wait longer.

He finished a whole bottle of champagne by himself while he wore a path into the carpet. He was about to tell Killer to fetch him something stronger when they were finally called to their places.

He felt strange standing at the end of the aisle with so many eyes on him. He hoped he didn't blush from their scrutiny. He was doing something sweet and romantic for his wife, reciting vows he wrote himself in front of a bunch of people that he thought had no business hearing how he felt about her. The whole show made him uncomfortable, but if it made Nami happy, then he'd suck up his pride and go through with it.

The guests murmured as they waited for the others. Kid scanned the crowd, glowered when he spotted Trafalgar jog down the path that led from the hotel they were hosting the wedding and reception at. His friends were already seated on Nami's side, so Kid wondered where he had gone off to without them.

He was especially curious when Trafalgar caught his eye and grinned wide. For some reason, that grin unsettled him. It was like he knew something. What the fuck was he up to?

He shook off his suspicions and stared down the path the others would be arriving from. Arches draped with gold and burgundy silk lined the walkway. As the fabric fluttered in the breeze, Kid caught sight of blue hair. Vivi or Nojiko, he couldn't say, but it was one of the girls. Probably Vivi if he remembered the procession order right. Nojiko should come last. Either way, they were finally coming out.

He straightened his back, fiddled with his tie, and tried to ignore the swarm of butterflies in his stomach as the music started up.

He was right, Vivi was first. She was escorted by Luffy who had whined and pleaded to be part of the wedding until Kid finally caved. He refused to make him best man, only Killer could have that job, but he agreed to make him a groomsman.

He didn't think anything of the young man's exuberant grin. He was always grinning. And his snicker wasn't too odd, though Vivi pinched his arm and shot him a look of warning before they parted to stand in their places at the altar. Vivi's smile was as unsettling as Trafalgar's when he glanced at her.

Next was Robin, escorted by Franky who already had his handkerchief out. Robin gave his arm a consoling pat as he blubbered and sniffled. The big guy was a softy at heart, though he expected him to hold out at least until the vows.

Robin's smile was always eerie and unsettling, but that day it was worse and he had no idea why. Were they making fun of him? Were their smiles mocking because there he was, in a fucking suit, about to declare his true love to his wife in front of everyone?

He ground his teeth and fought to restrain his temper. Killer slapped his shoulder in an attempt to calm him down.

"Why the fuck are they all smiling at me?" he hissed to his best friend.

Killer shrugged. "They might be happy for you."

He scoffed. Maybe a few of them were, but Trafalgar's smile made no sense in that context. He half expected the asshole to speak against the union, even if it was a vow renewal. He did when the justice married them the first time. Killer chased him out of the room and would have beaten the shit out of him if Trafalgar didn't have all his friends to get in the way. The bastard. He didn't give a shit about his happiness, and they all knew it.

He forced himself not to think about their first wedding when he spotted Nojiko walking toward them with Will and Mary on either side of her. They stopped at the beginning of the aisle, and Nojiko turned to her niece and nephew to whisper something to them. He smiled as she fixed a ribbon in Mary's hair, and then straightened Will's bowtie. She was a good aunt.

He had no idea what to think when he saw her hold a finger to her lips. Mary mimicked her with a giddy smile, and helped Will do the same. Were they keeping a secret for her? Or was she just telling them to stay quiet during the ceremony?

Nojiko straightened and turned for the aisle.

What the fuck was up with everyone smiling like that?

He couldn't help himself as he glared at Nojiko. Her smile only grew as she continued down the aisle. There was a smug glint in her eye, a cocky saunter in her hips. Killer whistled beside him, surely appreciating the burgundy silk that cascaded over her curvy body. Kid slammed an elbow into his stomach to silence him. Now was not the time to flirt with the maid of honor, not when she was hiding something from him.

He leaned over to hiss, "What the fuck's going on?"

Nojiko held a finger to her lips, the other two bridesmaids did the same. He wished he could throttle them, but his kids were skipping down the aisle, and Nami wouldn't appreciate it if he hurt her sister. He shot them another glare, and then focused on the mess Mary was making of the flower petals.

She threw them in the air while Will danced and jumped for them, shrieking with laughter at what he thought was a game. The guests cooed. He had some damn cute kids.

Mary stopped beside Trafalgar, stuck her tongue out at him, and then threw a handful of flower petals in his face. He was so proud of his little girl. It was just too bad those weren't shards of jagged metal. Maybe someday.

Halfway down the aisle, Will got bored with his game and took notice of everyone at the altar. He sprinted the rest of the way and would have tripped on the platform if Kid hadn't thought fast. He captured his son and hauled him up onto his hip.

"I got the rings," Will announced as he thrust the gold pillow into Kid's face. Sure enough, their new wedding bands were still securely tied to the pillow.

"Good job, little man," Kid praised as he turned to pass the boy to Killer. "Keep guarding them until Uncle Brook says to hand 'em over."

"'Kay," Will chirped, then stretched his arms out for Killer to take him and set him in place in front of the other groomsmen.

Kid turned around in time to see Mary skip the last few steps onto the platform. She stopped in front of him, snickered, and then threw a handful of flowers at him.

"Funny, Brat," he grumbled as he reached out to muss up her hair.

She screamed and slapped him with the flower basket, dumping out the last petals. "You're ruining my hair, Papa."

She was sounding more and more like her mother every day.

Everyone laughed while she huffed and stomped toward the bridesmaids. Robin quickly set her hair to rights just as the music changed to announce the bride.

Those annoying butterflies were back the moment he saw her, except this time the swarm filled his whole chest and pounded against his heart.

 _Fuck, my wife is pretty_ , he thought to himself.

He began to fidget again as she made her graceful way down the aisle on Genzo's arm, covered in glittering gold like the queen she was. He couldn't restrain his grin. He wanted to run down the aisle, snatch her up, and hold her tight. Screw the ceremony, the tradition, all of that. He just wanted to touch and kiss his wife and tell her how beautiful she looked, preferably in the privacy of their room. He felt Killer's hand snag the back of his coat to help hold him in place. It took every ounce of control he had to stay put.

Nami had her head tilted down as she walked over the silk runner. She was being mindful of where she stepped so that she didn't trip on the front of her dress. But as she drew closer, she glanced up at him, and his smile grew at those sparkling brown eyes he always wanted on him.

Her lips curled in a shaky, nervous smile. He didn't think much of that. She could be an emotional sap. Even though their first wedding was simple, she still teared up as he slipped her ring on. This time she was getting the whole experience, he expected her to be a little weepy about it.

He bounded off the platform once they stood in front of it and nearly tore her off Genzo's arm. He ignored the old man's glare, too focused on Nami's glistening eyes and the blush on her cheeks. She was making him feel a way… And he couldn't do anything about it. Not yet.

Genzo snorted as he curled Nami's arm around his. A hand smacked against his back and he finally bothered to look at his pseudo-father-in-law. He glowered at the weird smile he wore. What was with everyone's weird smiles? Genzo didn't smile once when they got married the first time. He spent the whole ceremony cleaning his fucking rifle after passing Nami off with a very clear threat in his eyes. Why the fuck was he smiling now?

Nami tugged on his arm to distract him from the glare he leveled on Genzo's retreating back. Her smile was the only one he wanted to see, so he brushed off everyone else's weird looks and grinned at his wife. He was pleased to see her smile grow. She looked so happy.

The butterflies were doing karate in some bid to escape. He needed this damn ceremony to be over so he could kiss her already.

Before he walked her the last two steps to the altar, he leaned down to whisper, "Beautiful." When he pulled away, her eyes were wide and glistened with unshed tears. Oh, she better hold those in. He wouldn't last long if she began to cry this early into the ceremony.

She managed a brilliant grin and laugh, and then rewarded him with a quick kiss on the cheek.

He really wanted to haul her onto his shoulder and take off for their room. He could just give her his vows in private. No one else needed to hear them. He could say everything he felt without embarrassment, and kiss and touch her the whole time he said the words she deserved to hear. Screw the public ceremony.

Nami cleared her throat. Her brow arched and she pointed straight ahead to the altar. It seemed she realized where his mind went, and there was no way she would allow it.

"Damn it," he hissed.

Nami smacked his arm, but he heard a quiet snicker slip out. She wasn't too mad. Maybe she just wanted to get the ceremony over with, too.

He forced himself to take them up to the altar where Brook waited, chuckling like all the others. He turned to snarl at all of them, but Nami grabbed his face and forced his attention onto her, a silent warning in her eyes. He relaxed with a huff, and Brook finally cleared his throat and waved for everyone to quiet down.

He tuned out everyone after that, even Brook. He focused on Nami's face and nothing else. The voices around him were little more than a muffled din. The only thing that mattered was her smile and the sheen in her eyes and the blush on her cheeks. He wondered if her heart was racing as fast as his. Was her stomach full of butterflies, too?

Her hands squeezed his. He squeezed hers back. Her smile trembled. His own felt shaky.

Someone cleared their throat. Killer tapped on his back.

He blinked from whatever stupor he was in to look around in confusion. Was it over? Could he kiss her now?

"Vows," Brook said.

 _Damn it_ , he hissed to himself.

He had to release Nami's hands for this. He didn't want to, but he wrote his vows down because he knew if he didn't have the script in front of him, forcing him to say the words he memorized, then he'd cut it extremely short and save the rest for in the bedroom. He really didn't want to say this shit in front of these people, but he didn't want to let Nami down.

He cleared his throat as he pulled the paper out, willed his hands not to shake as he unfolded it. He gripped the paper tight, glared at the words scrawled over it, and cleared his throat again.

"Nami," he began, and then cleared his throat again. He dared to glance at her, grew anxious at her expectant smile, cleared his throat once more, and focused on the words. "I never imagined I would have a life like this with a woman like you…" He glanced up. Her smile was pursed. Her eyes already brimmed with tears. The paper rustled in his hands as his grip tightened. He glared at the words again. "I never thought a woman like you would bother with a guy like me…"

He heard Trafalgar chuckle in the audience and turned to snarl at him. Nami tugged on his sleeve to drag his attention back to her.

He cleared his throat and tried to remember his place. "I… uh…" He fidgeted, reached for his tie. Killer smacked his arm, and he gripped the paper again. "Once I had you, though, I promised that I would never let you go. I knew a treasure when I saw it. I knew I had something more valuable than all the gold in the world…"

Nami sniffled. He looked up to see her bite her lip. A tear slipped free. He fought the panic that always came when she cried.

"I uh… fuck…" He had lost his place. Killer smacked him again. He wasn't supposed to curse during his vows. Killer nagged him about it the whole time he wrote them. It made Nami laugh. It was a watery laugh and didn't stop her tears, only seemed to make them worse, but she laughed which meant the tears were happy ones. "Uh… I found the only woman I could ever want to give my life to… I found my queen…" Nami smiled through her tears again. "I found my best friend…"

"Oi," Killer interrupted.

Kid turned to shrug at him. "Well, she kind of is my best friend, too."

Killer glowered. "I feel offended."

Nami laughed at the exchange, reminding Kid that he was supposed to be saying these things to her. He sneered at Killer, pretended to threaten him with a backhand for interrupting him. His friend slapped him on the shoulder and gave him a lopsided smirk. They were still good.

He looked back at Nami. Brook handed her a handkerchief to dab at her eyes while she laughed.

Kid cleared his throat and decided he had to get the rest over with while she was still laughing.

"I found the love of my life," he said, forcing himself to say it clearly, even with all the people around to hear him admit something he only said in private. Nami froze, eyes wide. She hadn't expected him to declare that right there. That better make her happy. "And I promise to stay at your side, to hold your hand, to support you when you need it, and to watch you kick ass on your own when you don't." She snorted while wiping at her tears again. "No matter what life throws our way, I'll always be there."

This time she let out a gasp that sounded suspiciously like a sob and he snapped his gaze up to her. The tears were trailing down her face harder than before and she clutched the handkerchief to her lips to hide how they quaked.

"Oi, stop crying," he hissed as he practically tore the paper he held. Damn it, she needed a hug, or something to make her feel better, but he wasn't supposed to kiss her yet. "Stop."

"I'm trying," she insisted, even as she sobbed again. She fanned her face. "Keep going."

He swallowed thickly. She wanted him to finish, but he wanted to hold her tight and stop her tears. The sooner he finished, the sooner he could.

"I uh…" He looked at his crumpled vows. "I promise to never let you feel lonely." Her sob made him twitch. "I promise to never make you cry." He rolled his eyes at her watery laugh. Good job, Kid, already breaking that promise. "I promise to apologize when I do."

She sniffled, and he could feel her tremble, even though he wasn't touching her. This time he dared to reach out and wipe a tear from her cheek. She let out a shaky breath and her tears only came harder.

"Damn it, stop that," he growled.

"I swear I'm trying," she snapped, but her whole body shook, and she clutched her stomach as though she would double over from her sobs. He heard Mary whimper where she clutched Nojiko's leg. She knew she couldn't comfort her, either. Not yet.

"Mama," Will whined from behind him. He didn't have the restraint that the rest of them did and toddled away from Killer to stand next to his mother. He tackled her leg in a hug, which only made her sob again. "Stop crying."

His command made everyone chuckle, except for Kid. His son was comforting his wife for him, even using his words. He should be the one making her feel better.

But Nami sniffled loudly and crouched down to return their son's hug. Her shoulders trembled as she squeezed him tight. "Thank you, sweetie," she mumbled as she nuzzled his cheek. "I feel better now," she promised as she pulled away, kissing the boy on the forehead. "Go stand with Uncle Killer."

Will walked back toward Killer, but stopped to smack Kid's shin and sneer up at him.

"I'm not doing it on purpose," he snarled at his son. Will smacked him again. "Oi," he growled.

He received one last strike before Will decided it was enough punishment and wobbled toward Killer's waiting arms. Kid hissed in annoyance before he looked up to find Nami grinning in front of him. He eyes were still a little wet, but her smile was genuine.

"I'm better. You can finish now," she chirped, giving him a little wave to signal he continue.

He really didn't want to, not if it was going to make her cry more, but he was almost done and once he was finished, Nami could go, and then they could fucking kiss and he could drag her off somewhere private to make her tears completely dry up.

He cleared his throat and focused on the last couple of lines. "I promise to love you until the day I die. And I promise to keeping loving you long after."

He crumpled his vows up and shoved them into his coat while Nami continued to sniffle. To his surprise, she moved toward him, pushed his arms out, and wrapped her own around his torso in a tight hug. He stood completely still as she burrowed her face against his chest. He didn't return the hug until he found a thread of control to keep himself from ending the ceremony like he desperately wanted to.

"You okay?" he muttered in her ear as he embraced her.

She nodded and squeezed him tight. He felt a tremor in her shoulders, so he held her closer while hoping it was enough to make it stop. She was more emotional than he expected her to be. She had been having more mood swings than normal over the last few weeks, but he brushed it off as stress from the wedding. This was likely part of it. She would feel better once it was all over and life could go back to normal.

He dared to smack a kiss to her cheek before she finally pulled away. Her smile took his breath away as he brushed a loose hair off her tear-stained cheek. He _really_ needed to drag her off to a closet and have his way with her.

"Hurry up and say your shit," he grumbled.

Nami glared and slapped his chest. He couldn't help but laugh at her ire. He would always take her anger over any tears. Even happy tears.

"Nami?" Brook prompted as she took a breath and smoothed out the front of her dress.

She cleared her throat, shook away the last of her emotions, and squared her shoulders before looking at him. She looked about as determined as someone facing battle and he had to purse his lips to keep himself from laughing at her serious glower.

She snatched his hands back into hers, glared again, and pinched his wrist hard enough to make him yelp.

"Get on with it, woman," he said as he nursed the tender spot he knew would bruise by the end of the day. He would still take her abuse if it stopped her from looking so sad when she should look happy.

Nami huffed, but took his hands back and didn't try to hurt him again.

"Kid," she began, then paused to take a deep breath. Her expression softened into a calm smile that made the tension in his shoulders fall away. "I forgot to tell you, but you look handsome in your suit."

He grinned. "Damn right I do."

Everyone laughed, Nami rolled her eyes as he preened. He had to wait long enough to hear that.

"I never imagined that I would fall for a man like you, that I would start a family with you, but the years that I've had with you are some of the most precious in my life. I wouldn't trade a single second of my life with you for anything, and I'd give anything to have even more years with you my life, beside me."

Nami paused to sniffle and then laugh while another tear fell. Kid squeezed her hands, tugged her to stand closer, as he ignored the way his heart tightened at her words. Damn, he really needed to kiss her.

She cleared her throat. "I promise to never lose faith in you, to trust you, to face everything that comes our way with you at my side, to never let you go."

He really needed to kiss her.

"I promise to be your best friend." She paused to look around him at Killer. "His _other_ best friend."

Killer nodded his approval. "This is why I like her," he muttered to Kid.

"Just as you've become my best friend," Nami added.

"Hey!" Luffy shouted. His outburst was promptly followed by more rebuttals from all of Nami's friends. Nami slumped over as everyone began to shout and posture and mutter their complaints. Nojiko was the only one who didn't get into the fight, but he saw her smug grin. She was the maid of honor and Nami's sister, she already knew where she stood in Nami's life.

Kid felt his temper tick away as they all wasted precious time fighting over her.

"This ain't the time to argue," Kid yelled. "She's my fucking wife. That puts me over all of you losers, so shut it!"

The guests gradually calmed down. Trafalgar flipped him off for no other reason than to flip him off. Luffy settled with a huff, his arms crossed and lips set in a hard pout.

When the last grumbling complaints ceased, Nami sighed in relief and looked up at him to finish her vows.

"I promise that we'll be together 'til death do us part, and forever after," she said. He saw the sheen return to her eyes. She bit her lip, squeezed his hands tight, grappling for control of her emotions. "I love you more than anyone knows," she added at a whisper so soft, he was certain only he and Brook could hear it.

He really, really, _really_ needed to kiss her.

"Oi, hurry this the fuck up," he hissed at Brook as Nami gasped back another sob. He was seconds away from losing what little control he had.

"Right… Rings?" Brook said, signaling for Will to hold out the pillow with the rings.

Killer nudged the boy forward, whispered for him to give them their rings. Kid crouched down to untie them, and was struck in the face with the pillow as soon as he had the rings in his hand.

He growled as everyone laughed, and then pinched the boy's nose. "I don't like it when she cries, either," he hissed. "Don't get pissed at me 'cause your mama's an emotional sap."

This time Nami slapped him on the back of the head.

"You are!" he shouted in his defense.

Will slammed the pillow into his face again.

"Oi!" he hollered. Killer snatched the boy away before the ceremony was derailed again.

Kid shot his son one more sneer as he stood and snatched Nami's hand in his.

She was smiling again and seemed as eager to finish the ceremony as he was, so he didn't waste a second slipping her new gold and diamond wedding band. She took his, the gold band he wanted that matched hers, and slipped it onto his finger. As it glimmered in the sunlight, he was glad that she talked him into buying it. He had a new titanium ring he would wear to work so he didn't damage the gold, but he wanted a band to compliment hers, one with her name and the day they first married etched on the inside. He loved that she wore his ring, let him claim her as his, despite rolling her eyes at his possessiveness, and now he had a ring that unequivocally claimed him as her own.

"Oh," Brook said, "I forgot to ask if anyone had any objections to this union."

"Don't you fucking dare, Trafalgar," Kid bellowed when he saw his hand raise. Killer stepped forward, his hand clenched in a tight fist to warn the other man from making another spectacle. Trafalgar backed down with a sadistic chuckle.

"Then, if no one else objects…" Brook trailed off while Kid snarled at the guests. "I now pronounce you…"

Kid didn't wait for Brook to finish. He snapped his hand out to grab Nami by the back of the head and slammed his lips to hers.

"Man and wife," Brook said while Kid finally kissed the breath out of his wife like he wanted to do all damn day. "Again."

Kid ignored the cheers and whistles of the guests as he tilted his head and deepened the kiss. Nami squeaked in surprise, but still wound her arms around his neck and pushed onto her toes to return the kiss. He wiped his thumbs over her cheeks to take away the last of her tears, growled into the kiss when he felt fresh tears fall. The taste of them pissed him off. He had to make them stop.

He clutched her tight to him, groaned as her soft curves molded against his frame. He had a surefire way to make them stop, and when he heard someone shout for them to get a room, he decided it was a brilliant idea.

He broke the kiss grinning. Nami gasped and swayed at the abrupt end, and then screamed in surprise when he picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder.

"Killer, Nojiko, watch the brats," he called out as he took off running down the aisle, ignoring the laughter around him.

"You know the whole bridal kidnapping thing isn't necessary anymore, don't you?" Nami huffed while she squirmed on her perch.

"Maybe not for others, but it's a requirement for me," he said, grinning back at her.

She snorted in amusement. She obviously didn't mind his urgency. If she did, he'd be on the ground, nursing his balls while she battered the rest of him.

He thought about charging up to their honeymoon suite, but he didn't think he could wait that long. The moment he ran into the hotel, he opened the nearest door and bolted inside.

Screwing his wife in a housekeeping closest might not be the most romantic way to end their vow renewals, but he was too desperate to care about romance.

He dropped Nami to her feet and shoved her into a corner as he reclaimed her lips in a heated kiss. She groaned as he grabbed her everywhere he could, tugged at her dress to lift the flowing chiffon of the skirt out of the way.

"Wait," Nami gasped when he broke the kiss for a breath. She tilted her head to the side when he leaned in for another kiss, so he settled on her neck, nibbling and kissing the slender column that needed to be marked with his lips. "Slow down."

"Need to make you stop crying," he mumbled as an excuse. She certainly wouldn't be crying once he was done with her, but he could safely say his motives weren't so selfless. Not anymore. He chuckled as he got her legs wrapped around his waist and hauled her up so he could press his clothed length against her. He loved her cute mewl when he ground against her, and drew away from her neck so she could see his grin. "Maybe while we're at it, I can knock ya up. That'll be a story to tell."

Nami stilled completely in his arms and drew in a sharp breath.

"I'm just kidding," he insisted. Though, he wouldn't mind. He liked being a dad more than he ever thought he would, and he loved seeing how much Nami loved their kids. He couldn't ask for a better woman to be the mother of his hell spawn. "Unless ya want to try," he added while she blinked up at him.

She let out a long breath and slowly began to smile. "About that…" she began to whisper. "I… um… I have something to tell you…"

She squirmed nervously, her cheeks flushed pink. She couldn't seem to meet his eyes, but then she looked up at him through her lashes while she brought a hand to lay flat over her stomach.

He gaped.

"I… uh… found out today…" she said.

"You…" He couldn't catch enough of a breath to speak as he slipped a hand over hers. And then it hit him. "The sriracha!"

Nami laughed. "Nojiko noticed my dress wasn't fitting right this morning, and then I said I wanted hazelnut spread on my banana… Vivi ran out for a test. That's why the start of the ceremony was delayed."

He barked a loud laugh and clutched her stomach. "I should have noticed sooner," he said. "That whole stomach flu was weird. Something didn't feel right, but I brushed it off as stress."

"So did I."

"Wait, that's why everyone was fucking smiling weird at me," he growled. "Fucking Trafalgar knew before me? What the fuck, Nami?"

"I might have started hyperventilating before Vivi got back." She winced. "Robin found Law first, so he was there when Vivi brought me the test. And everyone else knows because my friends can't keep secrets."

"Guess I can forgive ya for that." He chuckled and tugged on a curl of her hair. "Now I know why you were balling so much today," he teased as he leaned down to kiss her cheek. "I knew you'd get a little weepy, but still…"

She punched his shoulder, but she laughed along with him before he stole a peck.

"So, you're okay with this?" she asked quietly when he drew back.

He pressed his forehead to hers. "'Course I am. I just said I'd try to knock you up right here and now. I got nothing to complain about. 'Cept maybe that I have no idea where the fuck we're supposed to put this one."

She tugged him close for a tight hug and breathed a sigh of relief. He felt her whole body relax in his arms and realized then what had made her so upset as he read his vows. She had been worried about his reaction to this news. He hadn't reacted well when she told him about Mary. She was nervous when she announced their second pregnancy, too. She was scared that one day he would leave her.

Like hell that would ever happen.

"Idiot," he muttered in her ear. "Told you I ain't ever letting you go. No matter what."

She nodded against his neck and sniffled loud. "I know."

He squeezed her tight as she broke down again. This time he knew it was from a mixture of happiness and relief. She might be a bit scared of how the pregnancy would go, especially after the last one. But if there was one thing she could count on, it was that he would be there for her until the very end. He wouldn't let anything tear them apart now.

"I love you," he whispered as she began to calm down.

"I love you, too," she whispered back.

He was the happiest man alive in that moment. He had his wife. He had two awesome kids, with a third on the way. He had a life he could be proud of.

Now he just had to figure out how the fuck he was going to remodel their house this time.

* * *

 _ **A/N**_ **:** _So, yes, this is the end of this fic that I never planned to start in the first place. You all can decide for yourself what their next child is. In my head, it's probably a boy... this time named Erik, after Erik the Red._

 _I might use that name again in another fic. I've decided I like it. Probably because every time I look at Kid, I feel like his name should actually be Erik. I don't know why. He just looks like an Erik? Maybe it's just me?_

 _And for those not following my tumblr - I have been thinking about starting yet another modern/ real-world AU for KidNami. It won't be related to this fic, or 'Possession', I just want to write something really slow burn, with more friendship fluff that eventually goes deeper (and has an accidental pregnancy plot, too). I figure it would make for a nice break for those reading 'Amber Curse' who might want more fluff, less death. So, if there is an interest in that, I'll think about starting it sometime soon._

 _For those reading 'A Dangerous Escape' - I have decided to put that fic on a temporary hiatus at the moment. Since that fic has a lot of gun violence planned at the end, I feel a bit squeamish about writing those final chapters with the current issues around gun violence here in the states. It just feels very unpalatable to me. I do hope to finish it eventually, but for now I'll stick to the axe and sword violence._

 _Anyway, thank you everyone who followed this odd look at marriage and children for these two. I hope you all enjoyed it._


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